Identities
by XtremeGal87
Summary: There's a new heroine in Gotham City, calling herself Batgirl. Batman wants her to hang up her cape. Robin's not so sure. And the Team is amazed at the friction that develops between the two. But then Dick becomes a target, and everything changes.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ Hello everyone, and welcome to my first Young Justice fic! (Not to be confused with 'my first fic,' which was years ago LOL) As I'm sure you can understand, I've been obsessing over Young Justice quite a lot lately (since _Performance_, I believe…), and, as usually follows with such obsession, I've been inspired to write a little something. Think of this as my take on Batgirl's origin story – Young Justice style. I hope you all enjoy it!

_**Important:**_ Since Invasion is still very new, I don't really want to touch that with this story. So, for timeline purposes, let's place this during the time-skip (during that first missed year). Also:

_Thoughts _

_"Mind Link" _

**Computer**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters/settings related to it. All of the above belongs to DC Comics (and I bow down to you for possessing such greatness).

**Identities**

**Chapter One**

**"I don't** get it," Robin declared tiredly as he slumped against the side of the tall computer consol in the Batcave. His gestures were muted – another testament to his exhaustion – as he continued, "how hard is it to keep a few de-powered, unarmed, psychopaths locked up? Doesn't Arkham have _**guards**_?"

Batman had already reclaimed his seat at the computer, fingers flying over the keyboard and lips drawn into a tight, thoughtful line as he replied, "After the last successful break-out new security measures were implemented in order to prevent any such incidents-."

"Lot of good those did," Robin grumbled, masked eyes flicking to the monitor.

"-Meaning tonight's break-out was no accident," Batman continued, ignoring his protégé's grumblings.

Robin released an exasperated breath, crossing his arms as he said, "Even better. Dirty security guard? Black-market psychiatrist?"

Batman's lips tipped into the beginnings of a visible frown as detailed profiles of the Arkham staff began filling the large monitor in front of him. "Too early to say. It might not be that simple."

"I can hope," Robin defended lightly.

Batman offered no reply as he focused on his task, and for a minute only the sounds of rapid typing filled the room.

The silence quickly made the Boy Wonder restless, and his lips curved into a grin as he moved around the back of Batman's chair, wrapping his arms around it in order to lean over Batman's shoulder as he declared, "You know what we should really be looking into? Batgirl!"

The only sign of Batman's agreement was the slight tensing in his shoulders as he was reminded of the other development of the evening. Instead, however, he said, "Another time. Three dangerous villains are still loose in Gotham; we need to focus on them."

Robin frowned, for a beat disappointed with his mentor's decision, before an undeniable possibility occurred to him and he stepped back, demanding, "Don't tell me you already know! Have you been holding out? You would've told me if you'd been training someone else, right?" He paused for barely a second, thinking now, before saying, "Unless this is some sort of test…. You trained her separately and didn't tell me in order to throw me off. I'm probably supposed to solve this one on my own, right? But I can do that…."

The soft clicking stopped as Batman's fingers stilled above the keyboard, and he turned partially in his chair in order to face his protégé before he said, "Dick."

Robin immediately stopped rambling, his arms falling back to his sides. It was rare when Batman addressed him by his real name while they were still in costume.

"This isn't a test," Batman explained patiently. "I haven't been training anyone and I've never so much as heard of another bat in this – or any – city. Finding Batgirl and containing her before she causes more problems than she fixes is incredibly important. But, for the moment, we need to focus on the ones who are already guaranteed to cause problems."

His mentor's calm logic sapped what little energy Robin had regained and his shoulders slumped slightly as he said, "Right, I knew that." He understood Batman's reasoning; it made sense. And he wasn't disappointed that they wouldn't get to investigate their mysterious new 'ally' – who just so happened to be female and, if her costume was any indication, kind of cute. He wasn't disappointed at all.

Batman inclined his head, offering Robin a full half-nod before turning back to the computer and resuming his search. With his back again turned to his ward, he allowed his lips to twitch just slightly. He had noticed the faint tinge of disappointment in Robin's voice, and, he had to admit, Robin was at least partially correct. Finding Batgirl wasn't something they should be ignoring.

Releasing a heavy breath, Robin turned, knowing they wouldn't be going out on patrol again that night, and took a step toward the stone staircase that led up to the manor.

"Of course," Batman said suddenly, his voice even and unreadable, "if you wanted to run the Batgirl case while I work on this, that could save us time."

Immediately perking up, Robin turned to glance at Batman's profile and allowed his smirk to return. _Yes!_

Sensing the boy's returning excitement, Batman casually added, "Starting tomorrow. You need to grab at least a few hours' sleep before school."

Robin's eyes flicked to the clock on the computer and he sighed again. It was almost four o'clock in the morning, and he had to be up no later than six-thirty in order to be at school on time. _Some days, _he reflected, _it's not even worth it._ "Yeah," he said aloud, "okay. G'night, Bruce."

He was turned, starting up the staircase, when Bruce's voice drifted toward him one more time. "Good night, Dick."

* * *

**Barbara Gordon** offered her best friend a concerned frown when he stopped before her the following morning. His uniform, as always, was impeccable – but judging from the tired light in his clear blue eyes, as well as the fact that he was usually half an hour early to school instead of ten minutes early, she suspected his tidy appearance was all Alfred this time.

"I was starting to worry you were sick or something," Barbara said. "You're not usually late."

Dick met her frown with an easy grin, adjusting the single strap of the backpack over his shoulders as he replied, "Technically, I'm still early."

Frown deepening, Barbara turned to walk alongside him and insisted, "You know what I mean. You're late for you."

Deflating slightly, Dick let himself drift to the side enough to bump her shoulder with his and said quietly, "Sorry, Babs. Just kinda lagging this morning, I guess."

Smiling now, Barbara asked casually, "You, too?"

Dick stopped, turning a confused expression toward her.

Barbara couldn't help but giggle slightly at the utter confusion on his face, so she tugged him out of the center of the hall as she explained, "I was in bed when I should've been, but I just could not sleep for the life of me! So, naturally, I slept right through my alarm."

An honest grin was immediately lifting his lips once more and Dick inclined his head with a laugh, saying, "Better be careful, Barbara; you're starting to sound like me. Of course, my alarm refuses to be slept through."

Laughing with him as they started walking again, Barbara replied, "Don't complain; I _**wish**_ I had an Alfred!"

Dick looped an arm around her shoulders as he reminded her, "I'm happy to kidnap you anytime, Babs."

"I might take you up on that soon," Barbara declared, smirking over at him. "It feels like it's been forever."

"It does," Dick agreed, meeting her gaze with a grin despite the twinge of guilt he felt at her words. He knew exactly why it had been so long since they'd spent any significant amount of time together. His schedule had gotten a lot tighter since the Team had been formed.

"Barbara!" Bette Kane called as she poked her head out of an open doorway slightly ahead of them. Her eyes glanced over Dick, barely acknowledging him, before she focused on their mutual friend and continued, "What's taking you? Get in here!"

Releasing an almost-silent sigh, Barbara stepped away from Dick as she turned a smile toward him and asked, "See you at lunch?"

"Always," Dick replied, slipping his free hand into his pocket and ignoring the strange coldness that was assaulting his arm.

Barbara smiled, waved, and turned to follow Bette into the classroom.

Dick's feet stopped moving, an unexpected thought striking him as he watched her thick, red hair trail after her. _Batgirl had hair like hers._ Batgirl had also been surprisingly agile and graceful, and at least adequately adept with hand-to-hand combat. And Barbara's father – Gotham City Police Commissioner Jim Gordon – had started her young in two very specific classes: gymnastics (at her insistence) and self-defense (at his).

Blinking rapidly, Dick shook his head and forced his feet to continue moving. _Now I'm being ridiculous,_ he lectured himself as he passed the classroom Barbara had disappeared into. His eyes flicked to the tall, narrow window in the door, landing for an instant on the familiar (and entirely unaware) blonde near the back before moving to the more-familiar (and equally unaware) red-head.

He looked away, then, and continued toward his own classroom. _There's no way Babs is Batgirl._ This random suspicion was probably just his subconscious trying to tell him that it really had been too long since they'd actually hung-out. _I'll ask Al if she can come over after school tomorrow,_ he decided. Bruce would be out later than usual with work, so he knew her presence wouldn't cut into his patrol-time, but he'd have to cross his fingers in hopes that nothing would come up that required him to be in Happy Harbor.

* * *

**Robin ducked** the angry swing of an empty machine gun, rolling forward and between his opponent's legs before springing back to his feet behind the larger man. "Missed!" he taunted as he leapt up and spun, the heel of his booted foot colliding with the startled man's jaw.

A simple, mid-air back-flip propelled him away from the man's collapsing body, and he landed with a smirk. The man was attempting to right himself, despite the obvious pain in his jaw, when the cord Robin had thrown mid-flip finished tying itself around him. He choked in surprise, collapsing back against the asphalt as he struggled uselessly.

Robin had already moved on, leaping out of the way of another gunman who had yet to run out of bullets. He spared half a glance down the street, toward the shifting shadow that was Batman as his mentor dealt with another half-dozen nameless goons. Robin himself had already taken down two, and he had two left, but he wasn't worried. If he was anything it was frustrated; the gunmen had provided the perfect opportunity for Two-Face to escape yet again.

As he landed, crouched and largely hidden by the natural darkness of the night, Robin realized he'd lost sight of one of his remaining opponents. The one before him was reaching for the gun that Robin had knocked out of his hand with a birdarang, and he could hear the other one attempting to sneak up on him. He spun around, prepared to disarm and disable his less-than-subtle opponent, but even as he spun he realized he needn't have bothered.

The broad-shouldered man suddenly found himself stuck to the nearest wall, two – which quickly turned into four – green arrows piercing the fabric of his shirt and successfully restricting his movement. The gun clattered to the ground at his feet, useless now that he could no longer properly move his arms.

Robin grinned, flipping backwards and over the remaining gunman and using his shoulders as a springboard as he called, "Bored?"

"Hardly," a familiar female voice replied as Artemis leapt down from the fire escape on the other side of the alley. "I could hear the gunfire from my room." She quickly loaded another arrow, aimed it at the remaining gunman – who was on the ground and reaching for his weapon – and released.

The man fell back, cursing, when he found himself trapped in a net.

Robin landed between them, kicking the gun out of reach and toward the pile of probably-stolen weapons that he'd already gathered, before grinning over at his teammate. "Admit it, you were a little bored."

"Yeah, okay," Artemis allowed, her own lips lifting in an easy grin, "I was a little bored, too."

Batman was suddenly stepping out of the shadows, asking, "Did you see Two-Face on your way here?"

Artemis started, the reaction just barely visible to her companions, as she turned her attention to the Caped Crusader. She shook her head. "No, I didn't see anyone."

"Then we know which way he went," Batman declared, turning and disappearing back into the shadows with a sweep of his cape.

Artemis looked back over to Robin, slightly surprised to see that he was actually still standing there, and gave him a curious look.

Robin grinned. "Wanna come with?"

* * *

**"He's even** uglier up close," Artemis whispered to Robin as they watched Two-Face round a corner nearly an hour later. It was the first time she'd seen the villain without the filter of a television screen or a newspaper, and she suddenly realized that pictures just did not do the man justice.

Robin's smirk was apparent in his voice as he whispered back, "Trust me, I know the feeling. He even gives Killer Croc a run for his money."

"Somehow, that's not surprising," Artemis replied. She flexed her fingers around her bow and began to ask, "How much lon-?" but then her question was answered, as an almost inaudible rustle of fabric heralded Batman's arrival from above them.

The trio had split up shortly after Artemis's arrival, when they realized that they had lost Two-Face's trail, and Batman had ordered them to radio him immediately if they discovered the villain first. They had also been ordered to observe only unless absolutely necessary. So they had been crouched in the shadows of the tall buildings, keeping pace with Two-Face and waiting impatiently for their cue.

But it only took Robin a moment to realize that Batman was not the Bat swooping down on their enemy. The barely-defined shadow was too small, and the figure was falling faster – for that very reason – than Batman would have from the same height. And then, of course, there was the freely-billowing red hair.

"Damn," Robin muttered, grinding his teeth in frustration. This was a _**terrible**_ time for Batgirl to make her second appearance.

Artemis blinked, sure her eyes were deceiving her. "Um," she began carefully, turning to Robin as she discovered that her words were failing her. But Robin was no longer beside her. "Crap!" _Guess that's my cue,_ she decided as she moved quickly to join the fight.

"That's far enough, Two-Face!" Batgirl exclaimed, flipping off of a first-story railing before landing in a crouch in front of the villain. "I'm taking you back to jail!"

Two-Face's lone remaining eyebrow lifted high in something between amusement and irritation, though he did stop, and he asked, "What's this? Batman doesn't even find me worth his time anymore, so he sends the new girl?"

Multiple small, round objects rolled into view between them, before immediately popping open and releasing a thick cloud of smoke. As the smoke rose, unmistakable cackling laughter echoed around them

"I take it back," Two-Face declared, frown obvious in his voice. "He sent _**both**_ of his children."

Robin ignored his enemy as he swooped down and snatched Batgirl off of the ground. She grunted from the impact, clearly surprised by his arrival, and before she could regain her senses enough to struggle their feet were touching down on the second-level fire escape.

Batgirl stumbled back, wide blue eyes narrowing into a frustrated glare as she registered what had happened. "What are you _**thinking**_?" she hissed, keeping her voice low. "We're on the same side!"

Robin narrowed his own masked eyes right back at her, quietly snapping, "I could ask you the same thing!" He gestured out, toward the slowly-dissipating smoke below, and added, "You can't take on someone like Two-Face by yourself!"

That was not what Batman would have wanted him to say. Batman would have wanted him to demand that she stop running around altogether. But he still couldn't shake the ridiculous idea that Barbara might be the girl beneath that cowl, and Batgirl's _**blue**_ eyes weren't helping. They looked so much like his best friend's blue eyes. And she sounded not a little like that same friend, too.

Batgirl didn't miss a beat, planting her gloved hands on her hips and smirking as she declared pointedly, "Well, I'm not 'by myself' anymore, now, am I? So why don't we take him together?"

_She should really be a little more whelmed,_ Robin decided silently. But before he could manage a verbal response, a different – but equally familiar – female voice was hissing in his ear.

"A little help here!"

Below, Artemis was trading blows with Two-Face, who was managing to keep her from getting enough distance to use her weapon of choice.

Robin reflexively glanced over, toward his teammate, and Batgirl used the opportunity to launch herself over the railing, spreading her cape out to slow her descent enough to control her landing. For a moment, Robin could only watch, feeling strangely stunned. But, should-be-civilian friend or not, he knew he couldn't let them face Two-Face alone, so he shook it off and leapt over the railing to join the fight.

Artemis managed a high back-flip, getting some much-needed distance between herself and her opponent, as Batgirl distracted him. She came up with one knee on the ground and quickly knocked an arrow on her bow, waiting for the opening she needed.

Batgirl ducked into a roll as she fell, uncurling in time to deliver a sharp kick to Two-Face's shoulder and send him stumbling sideways. She didn't recognize the blonde archer, but she assumed from the girl's uniform that she was either associated with Green Arrow or – like herself and Batman – just taking inspiration from him. Either way, she figured she could probably trust her for the moment.

Two-Face collected himself, barely a foot from the wall, and turned to partially face Batgirl once more. "What is this?" he began tauntingly, "Attack of the wannabes?"

"Guess again!" Robin declared, launching out of the shadows as he threw his arm forward. His punch connected with Two-Face's jaw before the older man had even properly turned toward him.

Batgirl rushed in, jumping into the air and spinning in order to land a solid kick to Two-Face's stomach. She used the contact to push backwards, flipping and landing half-way between the archer and Robin.

Two-Face slammed into the wall, partially doubled over, and he lifted his head to rake a glare over the Boy Wonder and the red-head. "I think it's time to punish you brats," he ground out as he dipped one hand into his pocket. "Let's see what fate awaits you." He lifted his favorite coin, letting it reflect off of the filtered moonlight, and in that instant it was torn from his grasp by an arrow.

"You little-!" Two-Face began, turning an angry glare toward Artemis. But his words were cut off as Batman's gloved fist curved out of the shadows and slammed into his face.

The teens straightened from their battle-ready crouches as Two-Face slumped to the ground, unconscious, with an obviously-broken nose. Artemis returned her next arrow to her quiver as she lowered her bow and Robin let his arms fall to his sides until they were obscured by his cape.

Batgirl swallowed nervously, her body still tense. She knew – especially after Robin's reaction – that Batman wasn't likely to be grateful for her help. _Maybe I can slip away while they're distracted?_ She shifted silently, ready to spin on her heel and launch back up the fire escape, but before she could actually move she felt a hand land on her caped shoulder.

"Nu-uh," Robin said, clucking his tongue faintly as he turned to face her, "not so fast, Red."

Artemis shouldered her bow as she walked up to her teammate and the new girl. She had long since regained her composure, and she knew exactly what her main reaction was. One hand landing on her hip, she demanded, "Since when is there a Batgirl and why is this the first time I'm hearing about her?"

"There isn't," Batman stated firmly as he joined them, Two-Face secured behind him.

Artemis quietly stepped a bit to the side, making more room for him, and Robin let his hand fall from Batgirl's shoulder.

Batgirl met his obvious glare stubbornly, planted her hands on her hips, and declared, "I'm new, but I'm not going away. You're just going to have to accept that."

"You're untrained and inexperienced," Batman countered unwaveringly. "You'll only end up getting yourself or someone else killed."

Robin barely managed not to cringe at Batman's words. _It's probably not her,_ he reminded himself. And, for that matter, if it _**was**_ Barbara, shouldn't he agree even more with his mentor? He certainly didn't want her to get hurt.

Refusing to give in to his blatant attempt at intimidation, Batgirl crossed her arms and replied, "Even you were 'untrained and inexperienced' once. If that bothers you, I'm perfectly willing to let you help me learn and train, but I won't let you stop me. This city has more than enough crime for the three – or four – of us; it needs all the heroes it can get."

"We're managing fine," Batman argued.

"Right," Batgirl challenged, narrowing her eyes at her elder, "that's why Two-Face was running free on the streets tonight. And that's why psychos just like him are blowing things up and killing people _**every**_ night."

Batman's eyes narrowed behind his cowl as he found himself glaring at a teenager. "If you want to help so badly, then you should understand the importance of getting the proper training first."

"Are you offering?" Batgirl asked pointedly, a slightly-widened eye making it obvious that one eyebrow was lifted beneath her own cowl.

"No," Batman ground out. "I'm busy enough without having to train you. Stay off the streets."

Arms falling to her sides, fists clenched, Batgirl met his glare and replied, "No." She spun on her heel, no longer interested in continuing their conversation, and started toward the fire escape.

Robin automatically moved to follow after her, his stomach clenching painfully as his every instinct argued with his pleading logic. He was so focused on arguing himself out of believing the evidence in front of his face that he walked into Batman's outstretched arm before he actually registered it.

"Let her go," Batman instructed quietly, his own gaze never leaving the retreating figure of their newest problem.

Eyes widening behind his mask, Robin turned to look over at Batman even as the restrictive arm fell away. "What?" he asked. "I thought you wanted me to-"

"I do," Batman assured him. "But the night's still young."

_He planted a tracer,_ Robin realized as his expression fell back to neutral. It was the obvious, logical choice – and it would certainly make figuring out her identity easier. But because it was obvious, Batman was bound to question Robin on why he hadn't already done it himself.

The sound of approaching sirens reminded them that there was still a job to do, and without a word Batman turned and disappeared back into the shadows. Two-Face was barely beginning to stir; he wouldn't be going anywhere before the police arrived.

Artemis turned her attention to Robin as Batman vanished from sight, asking awkwardly, "So, uh…want some help?"

Pushing aside his conflicting feelings about Batgirl, Robin let his trademark smirk curve his lips and he said, "If you can keep up."

* * *

**Robin spent **the rest of the night agonizing over the possibility that Batgirl and Barbara might be the same person. He doubted Artemis noticed his lacking focus (at least more than once) but Batman was another story. Multiple times he caught his mentor frowning at him with something between confusion and concern – a look that Robin knew meant they'd be having a serious conversation when they got back to the cave.

It wasn't until sometime after midnight, when Artemis begrudgingly returned home claiming that her mother was likely worried sick about her, that Batman allowed Robin to follow the tracer's signal.

And then, perched on the rooftop that Batman had just vacated, Robin discovered he honestly wished Batman hadn't put a tracer on Batgirl. He had wanted to solve her mystery himself, yes, but, more importantly, if she really _**was**_ Barbara, he had wanted the chance to stall. Because her being Barbara radically changed his opinion of the situation.

Before, he had assumed that when they inevitably tracked her down Batman would have some rather harsh words for Batgirl. And though Robin had thought it might be cool to have a girl running around with them at night, he ultimately agreed with Batman's sentiment. She was obviously untrained (or at least _**under**_-trained), and that was dangerous for her as well as for the people around her. And he _**knew**_ Batman wouldn't consider taking her under his wing.

Now Robin felt as though he were split right down the middle.

On one hand, the idea of having _**Barbara**_ fighting alongside him and knowing all his secrets (and, therefore, getting to spend more time with her), was thrilling. She would finally understand why he had to cancel last-minute so often, and – most importantly – he could finally stop lying to her. He already trusted her, so that wouldn't even be an issue.

But, on the other hand, that same idea sent a foreign wave of terror straight through him. She was _**definitely**_ not trained enough, and she was obviously not going to wait until she was before going out on patrol. And the idea of her getting hurt – of going through even half of the things he himself had gone through – literally made him sick to his stomach.

He just couldn't quite go so far as to say that he still completely agreed with Batman, because he knew her well enough to know exactly how much it would mean to her to do what they did.

Dragging in a deep breath, Robin shook his head. _There's no use worrying about things without proof,_ he reminded himself firmly. He still didn't know for sure, so all he was doing was distracting himself and jumping to conclusions. _Time to focus._

Every muscle in his body was tense as he activated the tracking system in his computer. The holo-screen flared to life immediately, and a second later a small, blinking red dot told him that the tracer was still active. It also told him that she was stationary. He activated the overlaying map before he could find anything more to worry about, and he held his breath as he waited to see where the tracer was.

His throat went dry and his stomach dropped to his feet when he recognized Barbara's address on the screen. For once it was not astrous to be right.

But he knew what he needed to do, no matter how much he disliked it, so he shut off the map and pushed to his feet. In no time he was leaping over the edge, and a single swing was all it took to adjust his course for Barbara's house.

Robin tried to let the air relax him as it rushed around him; he tried to let it clear his head and settle the anxious, uncertain nerves in his stomach. But nothing seemed to be helping.

As he neared the familiar street he rushed through a torrent of emotions.

A part of him was strangely proud of her for taking up the fight without any real provocation or even support. He knew exactly how much courage it took to do what they did. But he also knew exactly how dangerous it was, and he was both terrified for her well-being and surprisingly angry with her for risking her safety.

_And Babs would be the first to call me out on my hypocrisy, too,_ he reflected with an internal, bitter chuckle.

He came to a stop as his feet alighted on the roof of the Gordon household. And, after making sure he was properly hidden from the street or a neighbor's prying eyes, he knelt down again and called up his holo-screen. He didn't even have time to hope the signal would have moved before it was blinking practically on top of his own.

_So much for that pipe-dream._ And that meant it was time to move, so he shut off the screen once again and moved silently toward the edge until he was just above Barbara's window.

Again, he hesitated.

He knew he was stalling. He knew he had a job to do. Batman was probably expecting Robin to meet up with him before they returned to the Batcave that night, and he wouldn't be able to do that until he'd talked to her. But what was he supposed to say? Appealing to her as Dick Grayson was out of the question – Batman would be furious, and he couldn't betray his mentor's trust like that.

Knowing full well that he had a less-than-encouraging chance of talking her into giving up her new-found night life, Robin grit his teeth and swung down to Barbara's window.

She kept her window open just wide enough for him to slip the toe of one booted foot onto the ledge, and it offered no resistance as he slid it the rest of the way open in order to balance properly. The window made a soft, squeaking sound as it slid back, leaving him no delusions of making it inside before she noticed him.

Sure enough, the red-headed lump on the queen-sized mattress several feet over stirred, shifting and sitting up as she sought to investigate the unexpected sound.

Robin remained as he was, crouched on the window sill with one hand braced casually on the frame. He schooled his face into a serious, unfamiliar expression and made a point to remind himself to throw his voice just a little. Batman had taught him long ago to do that – especially when interacting with someone who knew Dick Grayson – but never before had that instruction seemed so important.

When Barbara sat up, her blue eyes quickly going wide with shock as she clutched the comforter a little higher around her, Robin said pointedly, "We need to talk."

"Robin?" she asked, feigning confusion and slightly exaggerating the concerned frown that curved her lips. "What are you doing here…? Is…is it my dad?"

Guilt swirled in his stomach once more. _Idiot,_ he scolded himself, _she _**does**_ have a little provocation._ But he kept the feelings from his face as he carefully shook his head, saying, "No. You know why I'm here."

Barbara narrowed her eyes slowly. "No," she said, a level of wariness in her voice, "I don't."

"Don't play dumb with me," Robin argued, keeping his voice calm and quiet. He hated having to corner her like this. "Batman slipped a tracer on you before you left earlier."

Her eyes widened, the genuine surprise overriding her largely-feigned confusion. After a long second she released a breath, loosened her grip (slightly) on her comforter, and looked away. "I never even considered that," she mumbled.

Taking her acknowledgment as his cue, Robin dropped the rest of the way into her room and moved out of sight of the window as he said, "I'm sorry to drop in on you like this, B – Ms. Gordon, but I didn't think you'd want to talk if I followed you earlier."

Her eyes narrowed again, though she let the comforter pool in her lap in order to cross her arms over her chest. The light blue fabric of her loose tank top shifted slightly with the movement. "I'm not your enemy, you know."

Holding up his gloved hands in a passive gesture, palms out, he said, "I never said you were. Honestly, I understand why you'd want to help out."

"But you're still going to try and talk me out of it, anyway, right?" Barbara asked knowingly. Her expression, as well as her body language, screamed her stubborn determination. She wasn't tuning him out, but she was wholly prepared to meet his argument head-on.

Letting his arms drop back to his sides, Robin replied, "I am." He wanted to be as honest as he could, especially since he knew he was going to have to turn into the world's biggest hypocrite. "You want to help us clean up this city because of your father, right?"

"Right," Barbara replied shortly.

"But while you're reasoning that you're helping him," Robin argued, "you're risking doing to him exactly what you're afraid will happen to you." He held her gaze and forced the harsh words off his tongue as he added, "You don't want to lose him to his job – but putting yourself on the line risks him losing you to yours." The very idea made him want to throw up.

Barbara hesitated, her stance slackening almost imperceptibly, and she looked away for a second. Her voice was softer as she admitted, "I hadn't thought of it like that."

For a moment, he was hopeful. Hopeful that she'd see his reason and promise to hang up her cape.

But, when she looked back into his eyes – seemingly seeing through his mask as if it weren't even there – that hope died in his chest. Her resolution was at least as firm as it had been before.

"I understand what you're saying," she said quietly, "but it doesn't change anything. The more people out there who fight back against the evil, the better our chances of survival. So, the way I see it, if I join the fight then we all have a higher chance of living to see the sunrise."

It would have been easier to try and talk her down if he didn't agree with her logic. But he refused to let her see the truth on his face as he replied, "It won't work like that if we're working against each other."

Her frown returned and she began gesturing as she said, "Don't tell _**me**_ that! You should be talking to Batman – _**he's**_ the one refusing to work with me! I would _**prefer**_ to work alongside the two of you. I know I'm less trained and I don't have the weapons you do, but I have the drive, the heart, and the ability to learn. Why won't he consider at least giving me a few pointers?"

Robin barely bit back his sigh before he explained, "Batman doesn't see it like you do. He won't train you, and he'll be wasting time keeping an eye on you that he could be spending taking down the bad guys."

"He's not 'wasting time' on me right now," Barbara challenged, clearly offended by his words. She crossed her arms again as she added, "He just sent you."

"It's the same thing to him," Robin said, cringing when he realized his own tone was a little more harsh than necessary. She was hurt and lashing out and he knew better than to let it rile him.

He took a deep breath before adding, "It would be bet-." He cut himself off when the communicator in his ear beeped and he immediately lifted one hand to tap it, opening the link as he said, "Go ahead."

"Hostage situation downtown," Batman began, "I might need backup."

"On my way," Robin assured him as his arm fell back to his side. His masked eyes returned to Barbara, who was watching him carefully with not a little bit of curiosity, and he said, "Please…just think about what I've said, okay? I have to go, but you should definitely be done for the night."

"I'll think about it if you talk to him for me," Barbara offered, her expression softening.

Hoping it would keep her home for at least the rest of that night, Robin nodded before turning and starting for the window.

Arms falling back to her lap, Barbara called quietly, "Thank you, Robin. And…be careful."

Robin paused, one foot on the ledge and hand hovering over his belt, and glanced back at her. Allowing a faint grin to lift one corner of his lips, he replied, "I always am."

* * *

**Batman had**, as Robin had anticipated, been unhappy to learn the identity of Gotham's newest Bat. They had argued for nearly an hour before Bruce finally sent him upstairs, and before Dick left for school the following morning Bruce was sure to tell him to cancel his afternoon plans.

School itself had been awkward for Dick, and for once he hadn't felt too horrible for having to tell Barbara that they'd have to take a rain check.

And then he found himself stepping into the Cave, and he couldn't help but feel like he was being punished. He knew exactly why Batman had sent him to the Cave instead of letting him go on patrol, and it was the same reason that Dick had had to cancel his plans with Barbara. He hadn't yet decided how to handle the situation with Batgirl and he knew that he and Robin didn't see eye-to-eye this time.

"Rob!" Wally called even as the light of the zeta-tube faded, waving over at his friend with a broad smile, "Wasn't expecting to see you 'til tomorrow!"

Robin struggled to lift his lips in a lopsided grin as he returned the wave of greeting (with far less enthusiasm) and called, "Hey, KF."

Zatanna, who had been talking to Wally, smiled over at Robin and said, "Long time no see."

"Yeah, sorry," Robin replied as he moved to join them. "Had some things come up in Gotham."

"We kinda figured," Wally assured him with a grin. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, toward the large hall that led to the bulk of the living space, and added, "Zee says Megan's working on a Chex-Mix recipe; we should get in there before Supey eats it all."

Laughing teasingly, Zatanna said, "I think the only one liable to eat it all is you, Wally."

Wally staggered back, holding a hand over his heart, and declared, "You wound me! Of course I'd leave you guys some!"

"A handful each?" Superboy asked with a teasing smirk as he and M'Gann walked into the room.

Turning toward his friends and meeting Superboy's smirk with a grin of his own, Wally replied, "Exactly!" He glanced over to M'Gann, then, and asked, "Is it ready yet?"

With a soft laugh, M'Gann replied, "It's cooling."

**Recognized: Artemis B07.**

The Team turned at the sound of the computerized declaration, waiting patiently for their friend and teammate to join them.

The blonde archer stepped through the portal a moment later, clad in her civilian clothing like the rest of them, and she raised a pointed brow at the sight of them all gathered together. One hand landing on her hip, she asked, "What, am I late for the meeting?"

"No," Zatanna assured her, "no meeting."

Wally rushed to his girlfriend's side, draping an arm over her shoulders as he declared, "You just have perfect timing is all. Megan just made Chex-Mix!"

Artemis rolled her eyes, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips anyway, and asked, "Is there any left?"

Laughter greeted her question, nearly drowning out Wally's exaggerated, "Not you, too!"

"Come on," M'Gann said, turning and gesturing down the hall, "it's probably cooled enough to try a little. I separated some for everyone." She lifted off the ground, then, and flew quickly back toward the kitchen.

Superboy and Zatanna followed silently, and Wally made to dash after them as Artemis's eyes slid sideways, toward Robin's stationary figure.

He looked distant even despite the sunglasses, his hands shoved deeply into his jeans pockets and a frown worthy of Batman curving his lips. He had been the only one who hadn't laughed (and it wasn't hard to distinguish his laughter in a crowd) when they'd been teasing Wally.

Frowning with concern, Artemis turned to face him properly and asked, "Something wrong, Robin?"

Her words seemed to get Wally's attention, because the speedster froze mid-step and turned back to look over at his friend.

Robin looked up, his frown smoothing into a neutral line as a slim, dark eyebrow lifted above the sunglasses. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

Frown deepening, Artemis crossed her arms and said, "You're usually the first to laugh at Wally, for one thing. And you never let someone catch you spacing out like that."

"I wasn't spacing out," Robin defended, managing not to cringe at himself. He wasn't being particularly convincing and he knew it.

Wally was immediately standing beside his girlfriend, a rare serious light in his eyes as he declared, "Yeah, you were."

Robin slid his gaze to his friend, glaring at him from behind his sunglasses. _Way to back me up._ Releasing a heavy breath, he pulled his hands from his pockets and said, "Look, it doesn't matter. I guess I'm just a little distracted today."

Wally frowned, knowing that that was code for something bigger, but before he could speak Artemis was asking, "Is it about Batgirl?"

"Wait, what?" Wally demanded, turning wide eyes back to his girlfriend. He immediately returned his attention to Robin and added, "_**Who**_? There's a _**Batgirl**_? Why didn't I know?"

Grinding his teeth, Robin looked away for a second before replying, "You didn't know because she's _**new**_. Like, two-nights-in new. And if Batman has his way she'll be one-night-old come sunrise."

"What, so he doesn't like the competition?" Artemis asked incredulously, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or is he secretly chauvinistic?"

Wally cringed, knowing Robin wouldn't like the accusation, but turned his focus to the younger teen anyway and asked, "Yeah, why would Batman run her out of town already?"

"She's untrained," Robin replied, disregarding Artemis's questions for the sake of his sanity. "And she didn't exactly ask permission before taking the mantel, so he's probably a little upset about it."

"Would he have given his permission if she _**had**_ asked?" Artemis questioned, one eyebrow arching pointedly.

"Probably not," Robin admitted.

Wally's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he studied his best friend. "You're not happy with his decision, though, are you?"

Turning his glare to the floor and clenching his fists at his sides, Robin replied, "It doesn't matter."

Wally and Artemis exchanged wide-eyed gazes, surprised at their friend's open display of frustration.

Understanding passed between them and Artemis dropped her arms, saying quietly, "I'll leave you two alone for a minute," before she turned and started down the hall, toward the kitchen.

When Artemis was far enough away, Wally stepped up to Dick and dropped a hand on his shoulder, saying quietly, "Tell me about it."

Hands unclenching, Dick lifted his gaze and asked, "Remember Barbara?"

"Gorgeous red-headed gymnast? Of course," Wally replied with a lopsided grin.

Rolling his eyes, Dick shrugged Wally's hand off his shoulder and said, "It's her."

"Wait, what?" Wally repeated, eyes widening. "_**She's**_ Batgirl?"

"Yeah," Dick replied quietly. The pit in his stomach seemed to be getting bigger by the second.

Wally whistled lowly, suddenly understanding. "Wow, Rob…that sucks. Does she…you know…know?"

"No," Dick said. "But that's actually part of the problem."

"Right, right," Wally said, nodding absently as he began pacing. "And Bats kicked you our way to buy himself time to, what, decide her fate?"

"Basically," Dick grunted, hands returning to his pockets.

"Batman to Team," Batman's voice called as a large holo-screen blinked into existence before them.

Dick and Wally turned, both frowning, toward the screen as their teammates ran into the room behind them.

As soon as the teens were all within earshot, Batman continued, "A situation has developed in Star City that needs immediate attention. Green Arrow and Black Canary are out on League business, and we haven't been able to raise Red Arrow. If we can, we'll send him in to help, but for now it's up to you."

Smaller holo-screens popped up on either side of Batman's, showing live satellite footage of Star City's central park. At least two-dozen civilians were gathered in the park, clustered together and surrounded by a group of large men with menacing guns. There was a police barricade several blocks away in every direction, shutting down traffic, but it was obvious that they were at a standstill.

"Suit up," Batman instructed firmly. "Aqualad and Rocket will meet you there."

* * *

**The weekend** arrived in a rush, and Robin was relegated to spending most of it in Happy Harbor. Batman sent them on several small missions, and whenever Robin tried to talk to him about Batgirl he shut down the conversation. By Sunday Robin's temper was fraying and the entire team had picked up on the unusual tension between the Dynamic Duo. Robin had been ordered to stay the night in the Cave on Saturday, since Batman was out of the country on League business, and after breakfast on Sunday Robin went straight to the gym.

Wally and Artemis strolled into the large living room, finding Superboy aimlessly channel hunting while M'Gann curled up next to him with a book and a bowl of chips.

"Let the party begin!" Wally cried as he struck a pose in the entryway.

"Hey, Wally; hey, Artemis," M'Gann called without lifting her eyes from her book.

Clapping her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, Artemis grinned and said, "You can stop posing, Drama Kid, they're not interested."

Wally deflated and adjusted his position until he was standing properly, and he flicked his eyes around the room as he noted the lack of the other two teens. "Where're Rob and Zee?"

Zatanna's voice came from behind him as she entered the room, saying, "I think Robin's in the gym."

"Seriously?" Artemis asked as they turned in order to greet their friend. "It's not even ten in the morning."

M'Gann telekinetically set her book on the couch by her feet as she shifted in order to look toward her friends, her voice slightly hushed as she said, "I think he's really upset. He barely said a word at breakfast."

"That's true," Zatanna agreed, her hands landing on her hips. Turning her gaze to Wally and Artemis, she asked, "Do either of you have any idea about what's going on with him and Batman lately?"

The couple exchanged a long look and Wally's eyes were downcast as he carefully replied, "There's a…newcomer in Gotham, and they're sort of disagreeing about how to handle it."

One dark brow lifted, Conner turned his attention toward the speedster and repeated, "Newcomer?"

"She calls herself Batgirl," Artemis supplied.

Three pairs of eyes widened and Conner turned off the television as he and M'Gann pushed to their feet.

"And I take it she didn't take up the mantel with permission?" Zatanna asked carefully.

"Exactly," Artemis replied.

"I'm surprised they'd argue about something like that, though," M'Gann said softly.

All eyes turned to Wally as he admitted, "It's kinda complicated. She's not exactly trained."

"Well neither was I," M'Gann declared with a faint shrug. "This time last year I was barely even on Earth."

Wally stared at her as if she'd unknowingly grown a second head.

Suddenly self-conscious, M'Gann shifted awkwardly and asked, "…What?"

Snapping her fingers in front of Wally's face, Artemis called, "Earth to Wally – you in there?"

Wally blinked rapidly, glancing between them and mumbling, "Sorry, sorry." With barely a pause, he stepped forward slightly and declared, "But I just had a thought!"

Smirking, Artemis mumbled, "I can see how that would catch you off-guard."

Mock-glaring at her, Wally continued, "That's the answer! Batman's best argument is that she's untrained and inexperienced, right? Well, what if we fixed that? She could join the Team – between us, Canary, and missions she'd get all the training and experience she'll ever need!"

For a long minute, they just stared at him.

"I suppose," Zatanna began carefully, "that could actually work. I mean, I wasn't really 'trained,' either, when I joined."

"And most of us didn't have any real experience," Conner agreed thoughtfully.

Crossing her arms pointedly, Artemis declared, "There's just one problem with that idea, Wally: Batman. There's _**no**_ way he'll let her join the Team."

Smiling hopefully, M'Gann clasped her hands together and said, "But we could at least try, right? Maybe Batman will consider it if we all agree and promise to take full responsibility?"

"Yeah," Wally quickly agreed, turning an almost pleading smile to his girlfriend, "we have to at least try!"

When Artemis still looked less than convinced, Zatanna offered, "I say we try if for no other reason than to fix the tension between Batman and Robin. Has he _**ever**_ spent the night here before when we haven't had a super-late mission?"

"Nope," M'Gann replied brightly, as if her response proved their point.

Artemis sighed, finally holding her hands out at her shoulders in a not-quite shrug. "It's not like it's even my decision, anyway. But before we suggest it to Robin, we should check with Kaldur and Raquel to make sure they're on board, too."

"I'll call Kaldur," Wally volunteered even as he reached up and pressed the button on his communicator.

"Where _**are**_ they, anyway?" Zatanna asked curiously.

_"I think Rocket's sick," _M'Gann said with a small frown, switching to telepathy as Wally began talking to their leader.

Nodding, Artemis added, _"And Wally said Kaldur's in Atlantis for some sort of celebration. He probably won't be surface-side until the middle of the week, unless there's some sort of emergency."_

_"I guess that's reasonable,"_ Zatanna replied. _"It's a bummer about Rocket, though."_

Voice laced with understanding, M'Gann replied, _"Yes, it's terrible."_

_"You've been sick? With a human cold?"_ Zatanna asked incredulously, turning wide eyes to her friend.

_"It was technically a side-effect of being drained by the Parasite,"_ M'Gann explained. _"But apparently the symptoms were identical."_

_"Parasite? The guy you fought in Geneva?"_

_"Yeah,"_ Artemis replied.

_"He's in!"_ Wally suddenly announced with a broad smile, his arm falling back to his side.

_"Then I guess now we only need to check with Rocket,"_ M'Gann declared.

Zatanna lifted her hand to her own communicator, calling their remaining teammate. "Hey, Raquel," she greeted when the call connected.

The Team listened silently as Zatanna quickly explained her reason for calling, and before they had even disconnected it was obvious what their newest member's answer was.

"We're good to go," Zatanna declared with a smirk as her hand landed on her hip. "Let's go talk to Robin."

* * *

**It was** strange to be exercising with his mask on, but Dick knew that if he attempted his normal routine with only his sunglasses they'd likely fall off and become a tripping hazard. Not that he was only going through his regular routine. If he had been, he'd have been done nearly half an hour earlier.

_This is stupid,_ he thought angrily as he landed on another wide pole. _We both know what decision he's going to make, so why's he dragging it out like this?_

Grinding his teeth together, Dick launched into a double somersault, landing perfectly and immediately springing up again as he threw himself toward the still rings. He caught them expertly – with enough force to shake the entire metal frame – and let his momentum roll him into his first flip.

_She's not just gonna go away,_ he argued silently, wishing he could direct the words to Bruce himself. He knew she'd been sighted again for the last few nights, though she had at least taken one night off after their conversation. But her mind was clearly made up. _If we don't agree to at least train her and get her some proper weapons she'll end up getting hurt!_

He was so lost in thought, barely paying minimal attention to his own movements, that he failed to notice as the Team filed in behind him.

"I kind of thought those were just for show," Zatanna mumbled as their eyes settled on their obviously-frustrated teammate.

Wally cringed, knowing from Robin's lack of reaction that he hadn't noticed them yet and knowing just as well that that was a bad sign. Taking a step forward, he called, "Hey, Rob, can we talk?"

Dick relaxed the tension in his arms, throwing his weight in order to propel himself into his dismount even as he cursed himself for not noticing their arrival.

The Team watched as their youngest member performed an impressive back-flip, spun on his toes, and did an obviously-easy handspring down to the ground to land before them.

M'Gann floated the towel and bottle of water he'd set aside for himself over to him and Dick took the items with a nod, asking, "What's up, guys?"

Voice cheerful, M'Gann declared, "We thought of a way to try and help you with the Batgirl situation!"

One dark eyebrow lifted behind his mask before Dick remembered that they couldn't see the gesture, and his eyes flicked to Wally, who was nervously kicking at the ground and avoiding eye-contact. Instead of directing his words to the speedster, however, Dick paused to take a long drink from his water before asking, "And what's that?"

Zatanna spoke up next, one arm loose at her side and the other gesturing absently as she said, "Batman's big problem with her is her lack of training and experience, right?"

"Right," Dick said slowly, twisting the cap back onto the bottle. He was clearly going to have to have a talk with Wally later.

"Well," Zatanna continued, "what if she joined the Team?"

"_**What**_?" Dick heard himself asking, his eyes wide and his throat dry.

"It's the perfect solution!" M'Gann exclaimed quickly. "She would get all the training she needs, and the experience would just sort of happen along the way!"

Before he could find his voice again, Artemis added, "We already talked to Kaldur and Raquel, too, and they're completely fine with it."

"Even Batman would have to consider it if we all push for it," Superboy added, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hands clenching at his sides, Robin declared, "You don't know Batman. If the Team tries pushing for this, he's just as likely to do the exact opposite."

One eyebrow arched curiously, Zatanna asked, "Robin…do you not want Batgirl on the Team?"

Silence greeted her question as the others waited for his answer, having not considered that possibility.

Robin hesitated. He honestly didn't know his answer. The answer to that question was just a smaller version of the answer to whether or not he wanted Barbara – Batgirl – running around on rooftops and fighting psychopaths. And that answer seemed to change with the hour.

"Rob?" Wally finally asked, confusion and concern in his voice.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Robin turned and made his way toward the nearest bench. "I don't know," he admitted honestly. "Sometimes I think she could be a good addition – she could help, and an extra pair of eyes never hurts. But other times…I don't think she's cut out for this life."

"But if you're conflicted," Zatanna began, crossing her arms thoughtfully, "then what are you and Batman arguing about?"

Dropping onto the bench and letting his head fall back to hit the wall, Robin admitted, "When he tells me he's against her working with us, I know I want her to. And when I think about what we might have to do to stop her – and what it means to her – I hesitate. But when I think about what could happen to her…it makes me sick."

The Team exchanged a long look, and it was M'Gann who finally said, "You hesitate because you understand what she's trying to fight for and you don't want to take that away from her. But you worry…because you care about her."

Masked eyes staring, unseeingly, at the ceiling, Robin mumbled, "That could just as easily have been me." Another thought struck him, then, but this time he managed to keep it inside. _This must be how Bruce felt when I decided to become Robin._

Frowning at his friend's obvious struggle, Wally moved forward and sat beside him, saying, "Rob, listen. You know as well as I do – as well as we all do – that it's hard to stop someone from jumping into this life once they've decided to. And if you want to protect her, then…you need to make sure she gets that training."

_He's right,_ Dick realized. If there was one thing he knew about Barbara Gordon it was that she never backed down from a commitment she'd made. Short of locking her up for the rest of her life, there was no way they'd really be able to stop her. He needed to acknowledge that if he was going to be able to convince Batman to let her work with them, because he needed to be completely sure that that was what he wanted or Batman would see right through him.

Releasing a quiet half-chuckle, Robin lifted his head and said, "Hey, KF?"

"Yeah?" Wally asked, looking over at him curiously.

"Thanks."

"So," Superboy began, arms falling to his sides, "is it time to talk to Batman?"

Robin pushed himself to his feet, a genuine smirk tilting his lips for the first time in nearly a week, and replied, "It is."

* * *

**"Absolutely not,"** Batman declared firmly. He had detoured to the Cave to check in on his way home from his latest mission, only to have Robin and the others practically ambush him with their decision to let Batgirl join the Team.

"But it's the perfect solution!" Kid Flash argued persistently. He stepped up beside Robin, who was standing slightly forward, and held his hands out in a pleading gesture. "You don't want to take the time to train her, but we're willing to – and Canary's here all the time working with us, anyway, so what's one more?"

Batman narrowed his eyes at them, his frown deepening, and repeated, "No. Batgirl will not be active long enough to make it worth the effort. This is not up for debate."

Robin met his mentor's glare fearlessly, saying, "You know as well as I do that she won't stop no matter how many times you glare at her. And _**she**_ knows there's nothing else that you can do to stop her."

"Robin," Batman said, an obvious warning in his voice. They were not going to have this argument here.

"I'm not dropping this," Robin stated, crossing his arms pointedly. "And you can't keep avoiding me."

There was a long stretch of silence as the Knights exchanged glares.

Batman broke the silence with a sharp turn, his cape swooshing and flaring behind him as he started toward the zeta-tube. "Batcave. Now."

The Team cringed at the tone of Batman's voice, turning apologetic glances toward Robin as the Boy Wonder's arms fell back to his sides and he released a long-suffering breath.

**Recognized: Batman 02.**

"Well," Zatanna began carefully, "we knew he'd probably be angry, right?"

Nearly snorting, Artemis replied, "That's an understatement."

Turning toward his friends, Robin said, "Thanks for your support, guys. I'll let you know later how this goes."

"We've still got your back on this," Kid Flash reminded, holding out one fist toward his friend.

Robin tapped his gloved fist against Wally's, grinning, and replied, "I know. Later." Then he turned and started toward the zeta-tube confidently. The very fact that Batman had ordered him home meant that the conversation wasn't over – which, in turn, meant that there was still a chance.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Well, there you have the first chapter! And I have a confession: when I started this story, it was totally supposed to be a one-shot…but that clearly isn't happening! I suspect this will turn into either a really long two-shot or a still-fairly-long three-shot…hopefully that's good news! LOL Anyway, please review to let me know your thoughts so far, and I hope to see you all again soon for chapter two!


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ Hello again, and welcome to chapter two! I don't have much to say, other than to remind you that this story is set in the early part of the year immediately after the end of _Auld Acquaintance_. I hope you enjoy this installment!

_Thoughts _

_"Mind Link" _

**Computer**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters/concepts associated with it.

**Identities**

**Chapter Two**

** "Babs!"** Dick called during lunch on Monday as he bobbed and weaved his way through the throng of hungry students.

The girl in question paused and turned, her eyes quickly landing on the approaching face of her best friend. A smile immediately tipped her lips and she called back, "Hey, Dick!"

Beside her, Bette rolled her eyes and said, "I'm going to go claim a table, okay?"

"Sure," Barbara replied even as Bette began walking away.

Dick came to a stop in front of her a moment later, grinning and adjusting his backpack over his shoulder as he declared, "Well it's about time!"

"What is?" Barbara asked curiously as the pair turned and continued making their way into the cafeteria.

"I was starting to think Bette was never gonna let me talk to you again," Dick said with a laugh. "She was all hovery this morning."

Barbara laughed, rolling her eyes, and replied, "She was not. We were just talking."

"What does she have against me anyway?" Dick asked with a grin, glad he could smile honestly and enjoy their banter once again.

It had taken him nearly a full night of pestering, but he'd finally gotten Batman to agree to offering her a probationary position on the Team. Batman was probably hoping she would see their reality and go running in the other direction, but Dick knew better. Barbara already knew their reality.

Now all that was left was for Robin to run into Batgirl again.

Teasing laughter lighting her voice, Barbara replied, "Maybe she just doesn't like short people."

Feigning insult, Dick fisted his dark blue blazer over his heart and cried, "Gah! But I'm like three inches taller than I was last year!"

Turning an analytical eye to him, Barbara said, "I don't know…I was sort of thinking you were only two inches taller."

Mock-glaring at her, Dick released his blazer in order to point to her as he said, "You just wait and see, Babs. One day I'll be towering over you."

She laughed out loud at that as they moved forward another foot in the lunch line. "Keep dreaming, Grayson!"

Before Dick could respond an unexpected, familiar voice was interrupting them, calling their attention.

"Barbara," Artemis said by way of greeting as she stepped up alongside them in the line. She ignored the glare that the guy behind them gave her and offered the red-head an apologetic smile. "Sorry to interrupt; do you have a minute?"

"Sure," Barbara replied lightly. And then her manners kicked in again and she gestured to the dark-haired boy standing beside her, saying, "Oh, I don't think you've met."

Before she could say more, Dick grinned and held out his hand. "Dick Grayson," he said easily. "And we sort of have."

Artemis took his proffered hand politely, saying, "Artemis Crock…and…what?" Why did the name Grayson sound so familiar?

"Oh, god, I'd forgotten," Barbara groaned, lifting a hand and smacking the back of Dick's head lightly. "I'm sorry; he can be kind of a troll sometimes."

"Ow!" Dick cried exaggeratedly, holding a hand to the back of his head. "I resent that, thank you." _Well, not really,_ he added with a silent laugh.

Looking between them, Artemis admitted, "I'm feeling sort of confused…. But, anyway, Barbara, I was wondering if we could switch to today?"

It was Dick's turn to feel confused with Artemis's question. _Switch what to today?_ He hated being left out of the loop.

"Oh, sure," Barbara replied easily as they moved forward again, slowly edging closer to the food. "Did you just want to come over to my place after school, or would you rather go to yours?"

"Yours is fine," Artemis quickly assured her. "It's just that…I forgot I already have plans for tomorrow afternoon. I'm leaving town for the day right after school."

"So," Dick began, interrupting their conversation, "are you two, like, in a project together or something?"

The girls returned their attention to him, Artemis frowning automatically at his nosiness even as Barbara nodded. "Yeah; teacher sprang it on us this morning."

Dick screwed up his face in disgust, declaring, "I hate when they do that." _So much for asking her to come over after school today, then._ On the other hand, he'd just learned she was free the next day, so he supposed their afternoon plans could wait one more day.

Turning her attention back to Artemis, Barbara repeated, "Today's fine. Just meet me by the front gate and we'll walk together, if that works for you?"

"That'd be great," Artemis replied with a relieved smile. "See you later, then." She paused, glancing back to Dick, and hesitantly added, "It's, uh, nice to meet you."

Dick wanted so badly to laugh out loud as she walked away. When the day finally came that she learned his secret identity, she was going to strangle him. But, until then, he would allow himself to enjoy her confusion.

* * *

**Artemis had** already caught up to Barbara by the time Dick arrived, and he didn't even try to stop the grin that curved his lips at the sight of them talking. He was genuinely glad to see that they could at least get along when they needed to, since they would likely soon be needing to on a regular basis. He also got a kick out of how close Artemis continued to dance around his civilian life. Sometimes, he wondered if Bruce had really thought about the risks of giving his new teammate a scholarship to his school.

"What took you so long?" Barbara asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked over at Dick, her lips twitching.

Holding his hands up defensively, Dick said, "Sorry, sorry! Got held up talking to my teacher."

Concern overtaking her features, Barbara asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Dick replied honestly, offering her a small smile.

"Now I remember you!" Artemis suddenly declared, her eyes wide with realization. "You're that freshman who took a picture of me on my first day here!"

Smile morphing into a grin, Dick looked over at his friend and said, "_**With**_, actually. I took a picture _**with**_ you. Did you want to see it?"

"Oh my god," Artemis groaned, disbelief and a slight twinge of horror in her voice, "you still have it?"

"Of course I do!" Dick exclaimed, dipping his hand into his pocket and retrieving his phone.

As Dick pulled up the picture in question, Barbara looked back over at Artemis and declared, "I'm sorry about him. He fell off the training bars a few too many times when he was younger."

"Did not," Dick argued habitually, grinning when he found the picture of himself and a surprised, confused Artemis. He turned the phone around and held it out to the blonde, adding, "See?"

Artemis narrowed her eyes at the photo. She still didn't understand the point of it. "And just what, exactly, do you plan on doing with that? You didn't post it on some internet blog, did you?"

Rolling his eyes, Dick reclaimed his phone and deposited it back in his pocket as he said, "No, no, that'd be too predictable. I just keep it for the memory. I mean, you _**saw**_ the look on your face, right?"

"I don't know that I trust you," Artemis decided, eyes still narrowed at him suspiciously.

Grin widening, Dick replied, "Your loss."

"Okay, Dick," Barbara interrupted before he could torment her other friend any longer. She dropped a hand on his shoulder and added, "We need to get going. See you in the morning?"

He turned his grin to her, the expression softening slightly as their eyes met, and nodded. "Of course."

Barbara looked past him, toward the parking lot, as her hand fell from his shoulder, and she said, "I see Alfred, so I don't have to feel bad for abandoning you."

Dick laughed even as his own eyes turned toward the parking lot and the waiting Rolls Royce. But his laughter faded as he noted that the always-shiny vehicle was not parked in its usual spot, but was instead much closer. In fact, it wasn't parked at all, but idling. And Alfred was not standing patiently beside the back passenger door.

Ever cautious, Dick pulled his phone again out of his pocket to check it, but he had no waiting messages – normal or urgent.

_Still,_ he argued with himself as he lowered the phone, _Alfred never mixes up his routine._ And, come to think of it, Alfred was usually already parked and waiting by the time the bell rang. But the Rolls had definitely only just pulled to the curb while he'd been talking with Barbara and Artemis.

Seeing his uncharacteristic frown, Barbara glanced toward the idling car before looking back at her friend and asking carefully, "Dick…? Is something wrong?"

"Don't know," Dick muttered, thinking aloud, as he shifted slightly to get a better look at the car. The back windows were tinted – in case he or Bruce ever needed to change – but the front windows weren't. And then his eyes landed on the driver and he knew immediately that that man was not Alfred Pennyworth.

Dread settled in his stomach like a lead weight even as his jaw tightened. There was no way one of Bruce's cars could have been taken from the garage without him knowing about it, which meant one thing: the man in the driver's seat had stolen the car while Alfred had been in it. And, since he'd then proceeded to come to Dick's school, logic dictated that that man intended to kidnap him.

A thousand scenarios flashed through his head as Dick struggled to maintain his composure.

Was Alfred alright? Was he in the car at all or lying in a ditch somewhere? Who was the man in the Rolls Royce? Was he working solo or part of a bigger group? Did they intend to hold Dick for ransom or just kill him? Or both? Should he play along and go up to the car, in hopes that he'd get a few of his answers? Or should he play it smart and run while he could?

_"Fight smarter, not harder," Batman said bluntly._ He'd said those words a handful of times over the years, but mostly when Dick had still been in training. That had been one of the earliest and most important lessons Batman had taught him.

_Retreat, then,_ Dick decided. Alfred had multiple tracers on his person at all times – they all did – so he knew he'd be able to find the older man. And once he had a minute to think, Dick would call Bruce and alert him to the situation. But, first, he needed to get to safety.

Barbara's hand landed on Dick's shoulder again, this time squeezing with concern as her voice called him out of his thoughts. "Dick, what's going on?"

Knowing that Barbara would get suspicious if he turned and ran _**away**_ from his ride, even if he kept his behavior calm and casual, Dick did the only thing he could. He turned back to face her, his expression honestly grim, and said, "That's not Alfred."

Her eyes widened even as her hand fell from his shoulder. "What?" she asked, automatically looking toward the easily-identifiable license plate. "But…that's his car…."

"Exactly," Dick said.

Returning her gaze to her friend, Barbara asked, "Why would someone steal one of Bruce's cars and then come _**here?**_"

The obvious answer to her question dawned in her eyes even as Dick declared, "Probably to kidnap me. Which is why I need to go."

Dark eyes wide with shock, Artemis hissed, "You can't go with the guy who wants to kidnap you!"

"Obviously," Dick replied, cutting a glance to her. He suddenly wished she knew the truth about him, because he was feeling surprisingly alone, but he pushed past the feeling and looked back to Barbara. "He'll probably notice when I run off, so wait until he's distracted before getting out of here. On the off chance he doesn't know who you are, let's keep it that way."

"Absolutely not," Barbara insisted stubbornly. "You're my best friend; if someone's trying to kidnap you there's no way I can abandon you!"

"Barbara-"

"I'll just call my dad," Barbara decided, already reaching for her phone. "He'll have the school surrounded before that guy knows what hit him."

Dick's hand shot out, wrapping around her wrist in a firm (though not bruising) grip and successfully halting her movements as he asked, "And what about Alfred? What if this guy's working with other people and they're already holding Alfred hostage?"

"Then my dad will find him," Barbara said, her tone gentle but confident.

Allowing a portion of his true fear to show in his eyes, Dick replied bluntly, "It's _**how**_ they'll find him that I'm worried about, Babs."

Barbara opened her mouth, closed it again, and let her arm drop back to her side. She knew exactly how strongly Dick would react to losing anyone else, and the last thing she wanted was to be even unintentionally responsible for causing him that kind of pain. "But, then…what should we do?"

"_**We**_ shouldn't do anything," Dick replied as he released her arm. "I'm the one they're after."

Determination settling in her eyes, Barbara returned her phone to her pocket and replied, "I already told you, you're not going anywhere without me, Richard Grayson."

In any other situation, Dick would have cringed at her use of his full name. She only ever called him 'Richard' when she was dead-set on something that opposed one of his own decisions. And never, in all the time he'd known her, had he won even one of those arguments. This time, however, he only released a breath and said, "Fine. We run."

Barbara nodded and turned her eyes toward Artemis, saying, "I'm sorry, Artemis…we'll work something out, okay?"

"That's fine," Artemis assured her, a serious expression on her face that told Dick everything he needed to know about the words that were about to follow. "But don't think you're going anywhere without me; I intend to help."

"It's dangerous," Barbara warned.

Dick cut a glance over his shoulder, toward the Rolls. _He's bound to be getting restless._

"That's why you'll need all the help you can get," Artemis replied.

Before Barbara could argue further, Dick returned his gaze to them and said firmly, "Let's go. Walk with me."

Startled by his tone and command, the girls stared at him as he started walking forward, in the opposite direction of the waiting car. It took them only a moment to gather themselves and fall in on either side of him, easily matching his pace.

"Why are we only walking?" Barbara asked quietly. The entire situation had her on edge and her body was tense. Now, more than ever, she really wished she had a way of calling Batman or Robin.

"We don't want to draw unnecessary attention," Dick replied, his voice just as hushed as hers. "Once we're around the corner, we'll run."

"Run where?" Artemis asked. "Does Bruce – _**Mr. Wayne**_ – have some sort of safe-house nearby or something?"

Dick's lips twitched. There actually _**was**_ a relatively close back-up Batcave, but it hadn't been used in several years and he had no intention of going there. So he said, "Bruce is fine, and no. We're just putting some distance between us and whoever that guy is."

They were nearly to the edge of field now. A few more yards to go and they would be out of sight. But before they could step off the grass the echoing crack of a gunshot filled the air and the teens froze. Someone screamed behind them, but the sound was quickly cut short. Tires squealed as a car turned a sharp corner, the sound of the engine fading rapidly.

And then someone was bellowing. "Get over here, Grayson!"

Both Barbara and Artemis had tensed beside him, and he noticed one of Artemis's hands twitch toward her blazer. She probably kept her back-up bow hidden within, and she was most likely contemplating shooting the man with the gun.

Releasing a breath, Dick turned to the side and looked toward Alfred's car. The unknown man who had been sitting behind the wheel was now standing on the side of the car, holding a pistol in the air. He'd fired the gun into the sky to get their attention, then. That was good; it meant his first reaction wasn't murder.

The man's eyes locked onto Dick's from across the yard and he called, "Get in the car, boy. I won't ask again."

Dick's eyes broke from his for a split-second, taking in the sight around them. Most of the lingering students had piled in a rush back through the large double doors, and the parking lot had emptied behind the man at record speed. Gotham's elite didn't like to socialize with possibly-psychotic gunmen.

Eyes returning to the unknown man, Dick allowed his expression to fall into a well-honed Bat-glare. "Sorry," he called, "I'm not supposed to get into cars with guys with guns."

The man shifted and brought his gun down so that it was pointing at him. "Don't you want to know what happened to your precious butler?"

"Yeah," Dick said honestly. "But I'm not stupid enough to believe I'll get that answer by doing what you want."

Artemis's voice was calm and quiet in his ear, confirming his own suspicions as she whispered, "If he fires, don't dodge. His trajectory's wrong; he'll miss all of us."

"Well," the man called impatiently, adjusting his grip on the gun. "What's your decision?"

Robin's automatic, taunting sarcasm was nearly rolling off of his tongue before Dick caught the words and swallowed them back. He might be willing to compromise his identity around Artemis and Barbara (assuming it came to that), but he couldn't risk that revelation with the enemy. Instead, he merely called back, "I think I'm gonna go, thanks."

The man's glare darkened and he pulled the trigger.

Barbara started, not having heard Artemis's words, and Dick's hand snapped out to wrap around her wrist and hold her in place. A heartbeat later the bullet soared past, slicing through the air nearly a foot away on the other side of Barbara.

"Now we run!" Dick declared, tugging pointedly on Barbara's wrist as he spun and darted away from where the bullet had gone. Artemis kept pace beside him and Barbara required no encouragement to remain at his back.

Another gunshot echoed behind them, but the man's aim didn't seem to improve when he was shooting at moving targets, and then the trio was across the street.

They bolted around a corner and kept going, knowing that there was a chance the man would climb back into his stolen car and pursue them.

Barely a block later, Dick adjusted course and darted across the street, calling, "This way!" There was a side alley just ahead that they could duck down to help throw their pursuer off their trail.

Artemis and Barbara followed without hesitation, the approaching sound of a vehicle in their ears. When Dick ducked behind an old, gray Dumpster they quickly followed suit, pressing their backs against the concrete wall and trying to stabilize their breathing.

Dick was crouched against the Dumpster, kneeling and breathing with a slight exaggeration of effort. As soon as Artemis and Barbara were properly hidden by their crude shield, he leaned forward carefully, angled just enough to glimpse the opening of the alley and the street beyond. He swallowed as the Rolls Royce sped past. _If this guy's any good he'll double-back for a better look once he realizes we're not just around the corner._

"We'll be sitting ducks here if he comes back," Artemis whispered as her eyes reflexively scanned the alley around them. There was a fire escape almost directly across from them that led to the roof of the other building – which was four stories up. Were she by herself, Artemis would have already scaled it. But she wasn't even sure the enemy's actual target would be able to _**reach**_ that ladder, let alone climb to the top before they were noticed.

Dick sat back, knowing they had a couple of minutes at least. He saw Artemis's eyes linger for a second over the fire escape and he knew exactly what she was thinking. It wasn't even a bad idea.

"_**Now**_ will you let me call my dad?" Barbara asked quietly.

His every instinct screaming at him to keep the police out of it, Dick took a moment to gather his response before saying, "Someone probably already has."

"He did open fire at a school," Artemis supplied helpfully.

As if on cue, Barbara's phone began buzzing in her pocket. She lifted it, unsurprised to see her father's picture on the screen, and she glance back at Dick.

Biting back his sigh, Dick quickly said, "Tell him we're fine and that we're going to a mutual friend's house to hide out for a while. And tell him he stole one of Bruce's cars and that we're worried about Alfred."

Nodding, Barbara slid her thumb across the screen and put the phone to her ear.

While Barbara was talking to her father, Artemis moved around her in order to talk quietly with Dick, saying, "My place is too far from here; we'd be better off to go to the police if that's your plan."

Glancing again around the Dumpster, Dick replied, "It's not. I just don't want someone wasting their time looking for us when we're fine."

Artemis gave him a curious look at his unusual prioritizing but opted not to push the issue. Instead, she reminded, "Look, I…watch a lot of action movies, and I'm pretty sure this is a bad place to be if the bad guy comes back."

_A lot of action movies, huh?_ Dick thought, finding himself fighting a smirk.

Before Dick could actually respond, Barbara disconnected with her father and said, "I told him you were just about to call Bruce and that we'd check in as soon as we get where we're going. Now tell me why I didn't just have him send a car to get us and maybe catch that guy?"

Looking back at Barbara, Dick replied, "Because we'll be gone by the time the cops get here. Unless you want to double back to the school and wait, which would be fine, I'd understand."

Glaring pointedly at him, Barbara put her phone back in her pocket and declared, "Stop trying to ditch me, Dick, it's not going to happen."

"Strength in numbers and all that," Artemis echoed with a grin. She couldn't in good conscious abandon either of them in a situation like this – not even long enough to change.

Glancing between them, Dick nodded and pointed to the fire escape. Up was their best way out and they probably all knew it. "Then we climb, and fast. He's probably already coming back."

"Don't get me wrong," Artemis began as they all pushed to their feet and turned toward the old, probably rusted, metal, "but…can you actually reach that ladder?"

Barbara laughed softly and followed Dick toward it as she said, "He's sort of like a human monkey."

"Am not," Dick retorted with a grin. His feet left the ground a second later, hands wrapping around the third rung with practiced ease. In no time he was moving toward the second ladder.

Feeling the strangest sense of déjà vu, Artemis mumbled, "Forget I asked." His jump hadn't been showy enough to be Robin, but the similarities were there nonetheless, and it took her a second to shake herself out of it.

Barbara easily followed Dick up the ladder and around the grated landing to the next as Artemis kept pace behind her. They climbed silently and quickly, filing onto the roof with barely a sound before coming to a pause.

Dick ducked and crept toward the edge of the roof that faced the street where they'd last seen their pursuer. He knelt behind the short wall that acted as a railing, wishing he at least had his costume on to help him blend. _I'll just have to make do,_ he told himself as he carefully peered over the ledge.

The Rolls was slowly backing down the street, just as Dick had expected. It was already past the other alley – a little further up and on the opposite side of the road – and was making its way toward the alley they'd just vacated. But sirens in the distance assured Dick that the man wasn't likely to linger once he discovered they weren't there.

"He could follow us up the fire escape," Artemis whispered, crouching beside him and eyes locked on the moving vehicle.

"Do you think he will?" Barbara asked quietly, kneeling on the other side of her best friend.

"No," Dick replied, "the police are too close; they'll probably scare him off."

"He was dumb enough to try and kidnap you in front of the school," Barbara countered.

"Yeah, but he was hoping I'd just climb into the car without looking," Dick pointed out, moving away from the ledge and entirely out of sight from the street.

The girls followed his lead, turning to face him, as Artemis said, "It's a good thing you didn't."

"Dick," Barbara began carefully, "you really should call Bruce. He'll worry if he hears about this on the news or from my dad first."

"I know," Dick assured her, lowering his backpack to the ground and dipping his other hand into his coat pocket. "I was about to, Babs, don't worry. I'm just gonna try to reach Al first."

Artemis was moving as she declared, "I'm going to watch the fire escape, just to be safe."

Dick and Barbara nodded silently as Dick put the phone to his ear and held his breath.

It went straight to voicemail and Dick hung up without leaving a message; Alfred never turned his phone off. But, just to be safe, he tried the manor next. It rang until the answering machine kicked in, and again Dick hung up. The fear and dread was building in his stomach as he tried not to think of what could have happened to the elderly man.

It was time to call Bruce.

He wanted to call Bruce through the communicator, as it was the most direct – and assured – way to reach him, but he was still hesitant to expose their identities like that. He at least wanted to give his mentor and adoptive father a heads-up first.

"Dick?" Bruce asked as he answered half-way through the second ring. His tone implied the rest of his question; it was unlike Dick to call while he was at work.

Allowing his voice to betray a little of his emotions, Dick skipped right to the point. "Someone tried to kidnap me in front of the school. I got away – with Barbara and Artemis – but he's still coming after me. Probably all of us, now. He's driving Alfred's favorite car, and Al's phone goes right to voicemail."

The silence on the other end lasted barely a second before Bruce spoke again, the Batman coming through loud and clear. "The police have been notified?"

"My would-be kidnapper fired a couple of shots at us as we ran away," Dick replied. At the look Barbara gave him, he obligingly added, "He missed, though."

Dick could practically see Bruce nodding in understand, Batman's frown etched onto his face, as he said, "Finding Alfred takes priority. I'm in Metropolis now, but I'll fly home and join you. And, Dick…stay safe."

Dick was struck silent for a beat with Bruce's words.

He wanted to be amazed that he might just have gotten permission to tell his friends the truth about himself, but he was too busy being surprised at the sentiment of what had followed. Bruce _**never**_ vocalized his worry for his protégé. They communicated things like that through glances and nearly-invisible gestures. Occasionally poignant pauses in conversation when they weren't face-to-face.

Shaking himself out of it, Dick said carefully, "Bruce…if I'm gonna do that-"

"I know," Bruce assured him, the sentiment already gone from his voice. "But you'll need back-up." _And I need to know you're safe._ "For now, keep it the three of you. If you need more help before I get there, call West." _The rest of the Team can learn the truth later. This is personal._

"Understood," Dick replied with a sharp, pointless nod. He pulled the phone from his ear after a second of silence and disconnected.

Barbara was giving him a funny look as he dropped his silenced phone back into his pocket. Dick's half of that conversation had not gone the way she'd expected. "Um…what's he asking you to do?"

Dick was already reaching for his backpack as he replied, "We need to find Alfred. Once we know Al's safe we can figure out exactly who's after me."

"Dick," Barbara began carefully, confusion evident in her voice, "that's sort of my dad's job…."

"Guys!" Artemis hissed, her back against the short wall and her body tense. When they looked back over at her she jerked a thumb toward the wall and the fire escape beyond.

_He's not running?_ Dick thought, eyes widening as he considered why their enemy would be risking a run-in with the police.

Barbara had also realized what Artemis was getting at, and her own eyes were wide with fear. "We're trapped," she mumbled. And all of a sudden something Batman had said to her early in the previous week was playing through her mind. What if the person she accidentally got hurt – or killed – was one of her friends? What if that person was Dick?

Dick's eyes were already searching for an escape route. They could handle themselves, yes, but the price would be too high. Escape was smarter. And then he realized that the next roof over was nearly touching the building they were currently on top of. It was one story lower, but that was a jump they could all manage without injury.

Artemis was shifting, one hand braced on the concrete as she debated pulling out her crossbow. And then Dick's whispered words reached her, drawing her attention.

"Follow me!"

The girls exchanged a wide-eyed, slightly confused, glance as Dick sprang to his feet, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he ran straight toward the opposite edge.

Artemis realized almost immediately what he was going to do, and she shoved to her feet at a run. Dangerous or not, it was better than getting into a fight with an armed – and clearly reckless – opponent with two high-profile civilians in the line of fire. Barbara started moving as well, keeping stride with Artemis as they followed Dick toward the ledge.

Backpack properly secured over his shoulders, Dick threw himself forward in order to handspring off of the ledge and roll into a flip as he fell. He would land a little harder without his cape, but he'd be fine. His feet hit the concrete exactly as he'd anticipated and he allowed the momentum to propel him into another roll, moving him out of the way for his friends.

As soon as he stopped, he turned and pushed to his feet to wait for them.

_How did he…?_ Artemis thought, coming up short, eyes wide in astonishment as Dick leapt easily and fearlessly off of the roof. _**That**_ move had _**screamed**_ Robin.

"We have to keep moving!" Barbara insisted, voice quiet and urgent. They could both hear the faint groaning of metal behind them.

Taking a mental breath of clarity, Artemis glanced behind them as she said, "You first; I'll be right behind you."

"Okay," Barbara said with a nod. She started forward again and, like Dick, chose to handspring off of the ledge before rolling into a graceful flip. As her skirt ruffled around her she had a moment to wish she was wearing her gym-shorts beneath it before she realized that she was already climbing back to her feet.

She held Dick's gaze long enough for each to ascertain that the other had landed without injury, and they turned their waiting eyes toward the roof.

As soon as Barbara was distracted, Artemis whipped out her crossbow and fired a sharp arrow at one of the poles connecting the top ladder to the roof. Her arrow sliced right through the rusted steel, successfully destabilizing the ladder, and she put the bow away. It wouldn't stop him – not if he was desperate – but it would stall him, and that was good enough for the moment.

Then she was moving forward, choosing instead to leap straight off of the ledge before rolling into a somersault to conserve her momentum. And she _**really**_ wished she was wearing her costume.

"You okay?" Barbara asked as she helped Artemis to her feet.

"Fine," Artemis replied, brushing off her skirt self-consciously. Her eyes flickered to Dick, but he was already moving, and it didn't take a lot of effort to discover his goal. He was headed right for another, equally-rusted ladder. "Fire escape?" she asked anyway as she looked back to Barbara.

The red-head nodded as she turned to follow her best friend. "Yeah; it'll make running easier."

"That's for sure," Artemis agreed with a small smirk.

The trio made short work of crossing the roof and descending the fire escape, and then they turned toward the open end of the alley and broke into a run. They darted around the nearest corner, onto a new street, and kept running until they'd crossed another street and found another dead-end alley where they could catch their breath.

Dick was shrugging out of his backpack, eager to activate the computer in his gloves which were nestled inside and find Alfred, when Artemis stepped up to him. His eyes flicked up to her on reflex even as she spoke.

Her voice was quiet but firm as she demanded, "Alright, Grayson, tell me how the hell you _**did**_ that back there."

Barbara looked between them as she caught her breath, her blue eyes clearly confused. "How he did what?"

Artemis cut a glance toward the red-head and stated, "That roof-dismount thing. And, for that matter, how'd you manage it, too? That's not the kind of thing you do on reflex."

Blinking at her, Barbara replied, "I'm a gymnast. I've been training since I've been walking practically."

"Okay," Artemis said awkwardly, "I can accept that." She returned her gaze to Dick, who was standing upright again, backpack at his feet. "Are you a gymnast, too?"

"Grew up in a circus," Dick replied bluntly. He loved where he came from, but he didn't always love talking about it. And, with Alfred missing and possibly hurt (he refused to consider worse), this was definitely one of those times when he didn't love talking about it.

Artemis's eyes widened as she slowly repeated, "A…circus?"

The word sent her spiraling into an unexpected memory from the previous winter, when Robin had led a fraction of the Team on an undercover mission in Europe. That hadn't exactly been her favorite mission – although it certainly hadn't been the worst mission, either.

And then she was suddenly standing again in Jack Haly's office on the day they joined, her eyes strangely transfixed on an obviously-old poster behind the man. A poster advertising the Flying Graysons. Could that possibly be a coincidence?

"It's not a coincidence," Dick declared tightly, his eyes finding a crack in the pavement and glaring at it.

"Excuse me?" Artemis asked incredulously, blinking at the boy standing before her. There was no way she'd been thinking out loud…was there?

"You were wondering if it was a coincidence that my name is Grayson and there were posters for 'the Flying Graysons' at Haly's last winter," Dick elaborated, taking a deep breath and lifting his eyes back to hers. He could sense the layered confusion from the red-head beside him, but he kept his focus on Artemis.

"I – how did – that is…_**what**_?" Artemis stuttered, her eyes impossibly wide. She was searching his face for some kind of clue when she made a startling realization. That had been the same mission where she – along with the rest of the Team – had seen Robin's eyes for the first time. She'd always expected them to be dark, and she'd been surprised to learn that they were actually a clear, shining blue.

The same blue as Dick Grayson's eyes.

Dick slowly nodded, knowing she was at least suspecting the truth. And that was when he realized that, if she was going to know the truth, then he probably owed her an apology. "I'm sorry, by the way. I lied to you – to all of you – back then. That wasn't _**his**_ mission, it was mine. I didn't even consult him about it before I asked the four of you to come with me."

Artemis dragged in a deep breath, releasing it slowly and deliberately as she processed what she was learning. She had a thousand questions (and, _**oh god**_, some of Wally's seemingly-off-handed comments about Bruce Wayne were suddenly making sense), but she knew that the timing was wrong to ask any of them. Or, at least, most of them.

"Why are you telling me this now?" Artemis asked pointedly.

Dick looked away again, glancing toward the opening of the alley over the top of the Dumpster before he said honestly, "Because I need your help. Jack Haly used to be like a grandfather to me, which was why I needed to prove his innocence. But now…my other grandfather is missing, and he might be hurt."

A beat of silence hung in the air as Dick returned his honest, intense gaze to Artemis before adding, "You don't have to. This isn't a Team thing, and I'd understand if-"

"Hey," Artemis interrupted, propping her loosely curled fists on her hips with a smirk, "I save people for a living, remember? Reasons aren't even required."

Dick offered her an appreciative grin, but he was unsurprised when Barbara finally interrupted their conversation.

Confusion was evident in her voice as Barbara demanded, "What in the world are you two talking about? I thought you didn't even _**know**_ each other before today! And what do you mean you save people for a living?"

Artemis stared dumbly at Barbara for a second, her arms falling to her sides, as she attempted to come up with a reasonable answer. But, for the life of her, all she could think of was that she suddenly understood – sort of – why Dick had taken that picture of her the year before. She slid her gaze sideways, toward him, and grumbled, "You really are an annoying little troll sometimes, by the way."

Dick's lips twitched with silent laughter, but he chose to respond to Barbara's questions instead. "Babs," he began carefully, "I kind of owe you an apology, too." _Oh, she's gonna throttle me._

Barbara narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, crossing her arms over her chest. "For what?"

Despite the pending danger, it was hard to keep the grin from lifting his lips as Dick asked, "You know your favorite superhero?"

One slim brow arching high, Barbara carefully replied, "…Favorite _**male**_ superhero, but, yes…. Why?"

_Heh, yeah, I guess he would have competition now,_ Dick thought with a silent chuckle. "He's me."

A long stretch of silence settled over the group as Barbara's eyes widened and her arms fell to her sides. Her blue eyes flicked over to Artemis, who seemed to have recovered from her earlier shock and was now watching Barbara patiently, before returning to Dick's equally-patient expression.

And then she remembered Green Arrow Girl from the night Robin had ended up following her home, and she remembered that Green Arrow Girl had had a long, blonde ponytail just like Artemis's.

Taking a deep breath, Barbara narrowed her eyes again at Dick and declared, "I have half a mind to smack you right now."

Holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Dick replied, "And I kind of deserve it, I know. I'm really sorry for having to lie to you so much. It wasn't any fun for me, either. But, right now, I need to focus on the mission, so if you could just agree to yell at me later, that'd be great."

Barbara released another breath, her expression softening, and she said, "I can work with that. But I expect you to put in a _**very**_ good word for me with Batman."

It was Artemis's turn to look confused again as Dick's arms fell back to his sides and he said, "Actually, I was gonna tell you later, but, I think we've worked out a good compromise. The details of which, unfortunately, are going to have to wait."

"Wait," Artemis said as Dick crouched down before his backpack again. She was looking between her teammate and her classmate, eventually settling on the latter, and she asked, "You're Batgirl?"

Barbara grinned almost sheepishly and shrugged, saying, "Guilty. What's your codename, anyway? I'm sure it's not Green Arrow Girl."

Dick chuckled audibly, the familiar half-cackle filling the alley, and he completely ignored the glare he knew Artemis was sending his way.

"No," Artemis replied, removing her glare from her teammate as she added, "It's Artemis."

"Really?" Barbara asked.

"Yeah," Artemis said. "I wasn't feeling inspired. Besides, she's the Goddess of the Hunt, you know."

"Very true," Barbara replied with a small grin. Her eyes flicked down to Dick again as he shrugged out of his blazer and slipped his hands into Robin's high-tech gloves.

"You keep those in your backpack?" Artemis asked incredulously.

"I've got the whole costume in here," Dick declared as the holo-screen of his portable computer fired up. "It pays to be prepared."

Crossing her arms, Artemis grumbled, "I wish I could fit my quiver next to my school books."

"What are you doing?" Barbara asked, kneeling beside Dick curiously.

"Tracking Alfred," Dick replied while he typed.

"I thought his phone was off?" Barbara said carefully.

"It is," Dick agreed, "but we've got tracers in our blood for exactly this reason."

"In your _**blood**_?" Artemis repeated incredulously.

"Advanced nano-tech," Dick elaborated while the computer scanned. "Completely harmless and entirely invisible to any system not already familiar with it. It's a lot more reliable than cell phone or communicator GPS."

The holo-screen focused, a red indicator blinking steadily near the north side of Gotham.

"That's half-way across the city from here," Artemis stated, eyes narrowing at the screen thoughtfully.

"We'll get there faster by rooftop," Dick declared, studying the screen for another beat before closing it and pushing back to his feet.

"I've only got a handful of arrows on me," Artemis admitted with a frown. "I think I'll run home, change, and meet up with you."

Dick nodded, not surprised, and said, "That's fine. Radio me when you're heading out and I'll let you know where to meet."

Artemis replied with a sharp nod before turning on her heel and racing from the alley. It would take her a few minutes to get home, but at least she'd be able to make up the lost ground as soon as she was changed.

Barbara turned her eyes back to Dick, lip pulled between her teeth thoughtfully. She was torn between following Artemis's example and staying with her friend.

"Go on," Dick said gently, already pulling his gloves from his hands. He was smiling softly at her as he added, "You should change, too, if you're still planning on coming with us. I'll manage just fine for a few minutes."

"But," Barbara began, "how will I find you?"

Dick tossed his temporarily discarded gloves onto his backpack before reaching into his blazer. His hand disappeared behind the blue fabric for a second, and then reappeared holding a small device that looked like a smart phone. His fingers moved across the screen quickly before he held it out to her and said, "I tuned the tracking program with my signal. It'll lead you right to me."

Barbara stared at it as she accepted the light-weight device.

"Just tap the screen to activate it," Dick added helpfully.

"Okay," Barbara said with a nod as she deliberately placed it in a pocket. She looked back into his eyes and added quietly, "Be careful, Dick."

His smile returned and he said simply, "You, too, Babs."

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ And chapter two is done! I hope the revelation was believable and satisfying! Please let me know what you're thinking before you go on to the final chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ Hello all and welcome to the third and final chapter of my story! Now, just to let you know, you're getting this chapter alongside the previous (instead of waiting a few days) because I will soon be signing a publishing contract for an original novella, and I'm pretty sure I'll have to give up fanfiction once I sign. And, of course, I couldn't leave you all hanging! Also, yes, it's a nice long chapter, too! I hope it doesn't disappoint!

_Thoughts _

_"Mind Link" _

**Computer**

**Disclaimer:** Young Justice and all associations belong to DC Comics, not me.

**Identities**

**Chapter Three**

**Robin landed** on another roof, only a few streets over now from Alfred's signal, when the communicator in his ear beeped. Without slowing he reached up and tapped it lightly, saying, "Yeah?"

Kid Flash's unexpected voice greeted him barely a heartbeat later. "Have you found Al yet?"

"No," Robin replied as he fired his grappling hook toward another – taller – building. "Artemis called you?"

The faintest trace of a laugh in his voice, Kid Flash replied, "Well you know Bats didn't."

"Point taken," Robin conceded. He heard the sound of a car horn blaring in the distance on the other end of the line and asked, "How long 'til you get here?"

"Gah!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "I knew I should've taken the scenic route!" Containing his disappointment at being unable to surprise his friend (again), he added, "Ten minutes, max."

Alighting on the roof across the street from Alfred's signal, Robin paused, hiding in the shadows, and whispered, "Thanks, KF. Gotta go." The line went quiet and Robin focused his masked gaze on the area surrounding him.

He was technically crouched along the side of a fairly busy street – a road he knew Alfred took to cut out a little time when he was traveling directly to and from Gotham Academy. A steady flow of cars was passing before him in both directions, and a few pedestrians were walking along the sidewalk on either side of the street.

No one looked particularly suspicious, and no one was paying any attention to the side street where the signal was leading. There weren't any illegally parked cars in sight and there weren't any crouching figures on either of the rooftops across from him.

When he was satisfied that he likely wasn't walking into a trap (though that trap would probably have been set for Bruce or Dick, anyway), Robin made his move.

Alfred's signal hadn't moved since he'd first scanned for it nearly fifteen minutes before, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore the possible implications of that. _Just find him,_ he told himself firmly as he landed on the roof directly above the signal. _That's the mission. The next mission doesn't start until this one's accomplished._

Robin glanced around one more time, noting the two parked cars on the far side of the street and the lack of movement in any immediate direction. The building he was now standing on had a small back parking lot, accessible through the side street below, and there was a fenced-in Dumpster immediately to the right of the parking lot entrance. The old chain-link fence around the Dumpster had obviously seen better days, and the gate itself was leaning against the side of the fence, crumpled beyond repair.

A knot tightened in Robin's stomach as he glanced at the holo-screen above his wrist one more time, but he pushed it down and somersaulted off of the roof. He landed soundlessly on one of the Dumpster lids, spun, and knelt near the edge. _Moment of truth,_ he thought as he reached down, grabbed hold of the other thin metal lid, and hauled it back.

He was immediately assaulted with the rank stench of too many unmentionable things and he barely managed not to cough as he wrinkled his nose. Some days, he hated his job. But he pushed through it and leaned over the lid he was perched on, scanning the contents within for something that didn't belong.

It only took him a moment to spot the once-finely-polished dress shoes that Alfred always wore, and his eyes quickly followed them up a pair of awkwardly curled legs in familiar black trousers.

"Alfred!" Robin cried, quickly spinning to balance on the edge of the open side so that he could throw off the second lid and reveal the rest of his butler. The legs had been motionless, and he prayed that only meant the older man was unconscious. The lid clanged noisily, but Robin didn't even cringe at the sound as his eyes landed on the upper half of the man he'd been looking for.

Alfred Pennyworth was lying below him, mostly (but not entirely) on top of a half-filled Dumpster-full of trash. His arms appeared to be tied behind him and a thin, dried stream of blood stained his silver hair and smeared across his cheek. His eyes were closed, and the smashed remains of a cell phone were resting near his nose.

Robin didn't breathe until he noted the steady rise and fall of Alfred's chest.

_He's alive._ The words whispered across his mind, the only true vocalization of what he'd feared most, and spurred him into motion.

It took a little effort (and he was eternally grateful for the durability of his costume), but Robin managed to get Alfred out of the Dumpster. Once he had a good grip on the untied, now-groaning man, Robin pulled out his grapple again and used it to haul them both up to the roof.

After settling his butler carefully on the rooftop, Robin tapped his communicator and called, "Artemis."

Her voice came through a moment later, saying, "I'm here."

"I found Alfred. Meet on the roof of Late Street Deli."

"On my way," Artemis replied sharply.

Robin disconnected the call, paused, and then tapped the ear piece again for Batman.

"Go ahead," Bruce said a second later.

"I found Alfred," Robin repeated. "He's unconscious, but I think he'll be alright. Should I call for an ambulance?"

"That'd be best," Bruce replied, an almost audible layer of relief in his voice. "But see if you can't talk to him first; he might know something helpful."

"Will do," Robin assured him.

"I'm in the air now. I'll call you when I'm closer."

The line clicked, indicating that Bruce had hung up, and Robin swallowed anxiously as he reached for a capsule in his utility belt. Given the circumstances of where the elderly man had been found, he wasn't entirely sure it would work, but he was hesitant to shake or jostle him any further.

He snapped the capsule beneath Alfred's nose and waited impatiently.

Alfred groaned again, shifting as he coughed and squeezed his eyes shut in a cringe. After another second of semi-choking, Alfred sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes snapped open in panic.

"Take it easy, Al," Robin said gently, keeping himself in the other man's line of sight and holding his hands out to reassure him. "You're going to be alright."

Relief settled in Alfred's eyes, easing his expression, and he shifted again in an attempt to sit up, but as soon as he put weight on his right arm he cried out in surprise and pain and fell backwards. Robin caught him before Alfred could hit his head on the concrete, shifting and carefully helping the older man to sit up without putting weight on his apparently-broken arm.

"Thank you, sir," Alfred said gratefully as Robin sat back. He looked over, staring into the teenager's masked eyes, and added, "I'm very sorry, Master Dick. Are you alright?"

Robin offered him a smirk and said, "I'm astrous. It's you we're worried about."

Alfred released a breath and reached up with his good arm, massaging his head lightly and replying, "I shall survive, sir. I'm glad to see that those men didn't capture you."

"Men?" Robin repeated, smirk vanishing as he thought over what had happened to him. "There was only one man in the Rolls this afternoon. How many attacked you?"

"I believe there were three," Alfred replied thoughtfully as his arm returned to his lap. "I saw a young girl running along the sidewalk. She couldn't have been older than eight, and she was crying, so I was concerned that she was in danger." He trailed off, a muted light of self-hatred and disappointment in his eyes.

Before Robin could encourage him to continue there was a soft thud on the roof behind them. He saw Alfred's eyes snap up in surprise, but he already knew who it was so he only cast a glance and a grin over his shoulder, calling, "You're just in time for a story."

Artemis walked over calmly, bow and quiver slung over her shoulder, and she knelt down deliberately half a foot back from Robin and across from Alfred. "You must be Alfred," she declared with a smile. "It's nice to meet you; I'm Artemis."

Alfred blinked at her, surprised by her words, and cast a glance toward Robin.

Robin was grinning still as he said, "Extenuating circumstances." His grin faded, then, and he added, "Can you tell me the rest?"

Nodding with understanding, Alfred began again. "I pulled into the parking lot behind the deli, where I thought I had seen her run, and got out of the car to look for her. I hadn't moved far when a tall man, likely in his mid-forties, walked out from behind the Dumpster. He said 'thanks for the car, old man,' and I turned in time to see another man climb into the car. I tried to open the door, but he had already locked it, and then the first man twisted my arm behind me and made me drop my keys. That's where the third man came in, stepping only enough into my line of sight for me to see his shoes, and he handed my keys to the man in the car while the first man said 'we wouldn't want to be late picking up the boy.' I suspect he hit me at that point, because that's the last I remember."

Robin's fists were clenched over his knees as he all-too-easily pictured the scenario Alfred had described. And he couldn't decide if he hoped he found the men responsible _**before**_ Batman did or _**when**_ Batman did. But he knew for sure he wanted to be there to give them what was coming to them.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Batgirl declared from the other side of the roof as her eyes landed on Alfred. She darted forward, her dark cape billowing behind her, and dropped to her knees beside Robin. One gloved hand reached over and covered one of his fists, but her eyes remained on the butler as she asked gently, "Are you okay, Alfred?"

Alfred blinked at her, again startled at her obvious knowledge, but this time he recovered fairly quickly and managed a small smile. "I have been worse, Miss Barbara."

Sliding her eyes to her teammate, Artemis asked, "What's our next move?"

Robin's frown deepened as he uncurled his fist and twisted his hand enough to capture Barbara's in his and he said, "First I'm contacting the GCPD and having them send an ambulance for Alfred."

Attempting a firm frown, Alfred interrupted to say, "That is hardly necessary, sir."

"Your arm's probably broken and you've got a head injury," Robin returned stubbornly. "We're at least getting you checked out. The cops'll ask questions, but there shouldn't be any harm in you telling them what happened. They already know about the stolen car and the guy who tried to kidnap me."

Releasing a long sigh, Alfred inclined his head slowly (not successfully hiding the wince that followed the motion) and he said, "Very well."

"Once Alfred's secure," Robin continued, squeezing Batgirl's hand subconsciously and glancing sideways toward Artemis, "we start looking into the guys who attacked him. We know of three adult males and a small girl – probably the daughter of one of the men. It's a place to start."

Artemis and Batgirl nodded and – with surprising reluctance – Robin released Batgirl's hand in order to activate his communicator again. "Gordon," he instructed clearly.

The Commissioner's familiar voice answered quickly with his usual greeting.

"It's Robin. I need an ambulance at Late Street Deli for Bruce Wayne's butler; I think he's got a head injury."

"You found Pennyworth?" Gordon asked, clearly surprised by the news. "I didn't even think Batman was working this case."

"We work every case," Robin replied evenly. There was certainly no need to tell him that Batman was technically in the air somewhere between Metropolis and Gotham at the moment.

"Of course you do," Gordon mumbled. "Alright, I've got a car on the way and an ambulance following."

"Thanks," Robin said a moment before he disconnected. His arm fell back to his side and his voice softened as he once again addressed Alfred, saying, "Now let's get you back on solid ground."

With practiced ease (and a little help), Robin got Alfred safely back down to the parking lot, several yards back from the Dumpster. Artemis and Batgirl landed on either side of them, and Alfred didn't put up an argument at the idea of letting the deli's wall support a portion of his weight.

Robin was tucking his grappling hook back into his utility belt when a faint breeze blew past and a familiar male voice declared, "I'd like to report a crime."

Artemis rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's entrance even as she crossed her arms and turned slightly in order to face him. "What is it this time?"

Kid Flash was leaning against the wall, across from Artemis and just out of arm's reach of Alfred. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, grinning as he demanded, "What kind of deli is closed in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday?"

"The 'out-of-business' kind, KF," Robin replied with a smirk.

Releasing a dramatic sigh, Kid Flash's arm dropped back to his side and he glanced beside him to offer his grin to Alfred. "Good to see you're on your feet, Al."

"Have you been assisting them today?" Alfred asked curiously.

"Nah, just got here," Kid Flash admitted.

"Good timing, though," Robin declared. Gesturing toward the red-head at his side, he added, "KF, this is Batgirl. B, meet Kid Flash."

One gloved hand landing on her hip, Batgirl said, "I never realized you had such a thing for initials." Shifting her gaze back toward Kid Flash, she grinned and added, "Besides, we've already met."

Turning wide eyes to Robin, Kid Flash exclaimed, "You told her?"

"'Course not," Robin replied with an almost proud grin. "But civilian-me is only friends with _**two**_ red-heads."

With a reluctant nod, Kid Flash grumbled, "Yeah, okay, that's a good point." Then he turned his grin back to Batgirl and added, "The suit looks good on you." Artemis's hand was smacking the backside of his head a beat later and he exclaimed, "Ow! What, it was just a compliment!"

Holding his hands out in a pacifying gesture, Robin quickly said, "Okay, listen up, guys." He paused as Artemis and Kid Flash readjusted to face him, and then he added, "There's no sense in us all waiting here, so we're splitting up." He extended a hand toward Artemis, asking, "Lend me your tracker?"

Confused, Artemis obligingly dug out her tracking device and handed it over.

Robin's fingers moved quickly over the screen, programming something in, as he said, "We need to find our suspects, and the obvious place to start is with the guy who was last seen driving Alfred's car." He held the device back to its owner as he added, "All of our cars are traceable. I programmed the signal in for you. Track it down, observe, and let me know what you find."

Artemis nodded, glancing at the screen to get an idea of their direction. "You'll catch up later?"

With a nod, Robin replied, "As soon as we can."

Batgirl was shifting beside him, and then suddenly she was holding out the tracking device he'd lent her earlier, saying, "I almost forgot – you probably want this back."

Robin held up one hand as if to block her offering and said, "Keep it; you'll need it if we get separated." Tapping his glove, he added, "I've got mine built in, anyway. I mostly just keep that one for a back-up."

They could hear the sirens now, steadily growing closer.

"That's our cue," Kid Flash declared, stepping forward and scooping Artemis into his arms. "We'll catch up with you later."

"Oh, KF?" Robin called before his friend could disappear. Gesturing to himself, he added, "Do me a favor? Go stealth."

"You couldn't tell me that when my-" Kid Flash began, cutting himself off when Artemis deliberately tapped the logo on his chest. "Hey, that's cheating!"

"Weren't you just about to point out that your arms are full?" Artemis returned as she then tapped her own logo.

"Okay," Batgirl declared, "that's cool."

"Later!" Kid Flash called a heartbeat before he and Artemis vanished in a dark blur.

"You should get going as well, Master Dick," Alfred declared with a small, reassuring smile. "I will be fine for another minute."

Robin hesitated despite the truth of the older man's words. "I know," he finally admitted. "See you later, Alfred."

* * *

**Once Alfred** was secured in the ambulance and on his way to the hospital, Robin and Batgirl moved back toward the heart of the city, and Robin decided to take a minute to confer with his new partner. He had already given her his spare grappling hook (which she'd gotten the hang of almost immediately), and it occurred to him that she wouldn't exactly have the same weapons cache that he did.

They landed easily on another rooftop, and Batgirl automatically started for the opposite edge, but she came up short when Robin called, "Wait."

Confused, Batgirl turned to face him and asked, "What is it?"

Robin walked up to her, returning his grapple to his utility belt as he asked, "What kind of weapons do you have?"

Batgirl blinked at him for a moment before shrugging and replying, "I've got a couple fully-charged stun guns, some pepper spray, a handful of homemade smoke-bombs, and one of Batman's batarangs from a crime scene I ended up tagging along to." She tucked the grapple into her belt before reaching into a front pocket and extracting a banged-up batarang. Holding it up, she added, "I'm not that good with it, though."

Robin was grinning as he held his hand out for the batarang. "I kind of love that you snagged this," he admitted as he turned it over. Up close it was more damaged than he'd originally thought, but it was also certainly still usable.

"I know that's probably not very impressive," Batgirl hedged, "but it's all I've been able to manage so far."

Shaking his head, Robin handed the batarang back and said, "No, it's a decent start. And I'm sure Batman will give you some better weapons later, but for now I'm going to give you some of mine to bolster your arsenal."

As she tucked the batarang back into her belt, Batgirl asked, "So…he really is going to let me stay?"

Grinning, Robin replied, "Like I said earlier, I talked him into a compromise of sorts, but I think you'll be happy with it. I'll tell you the details later, though." He paused, dipped his hands into a few of the pockets on his own belt, and extracted numerous items. "Right now, I need to give you a crash-course on some basics."

Batgirl nodded silently, watching as he lifted one item from the pile in his hands and held it up.

"Think of this as a more advanced stun gun," Robin began. "It has three settings. Low is enough to drop most adult humans, and you'll get five shots with it before the battery runs out. Medium is good for most stronger, semi-invulnerable, or rapid-healing metas, but it only gives you three shots. High should be reserved for guys like Bane or anyone with notable resistance to electrical attacks, and it's only good for one shot, so make it count."

Accepting the weapon, Batgirl glanced over it – double checking that she knew which end to point out and which buttons to push for which settings – before she tucked it into the pocket with her other stun guns.

Robin lifted a red and silver explosive birdarang disc next, explaining, "These are my birdarangs. They're sharp throwing discs, as you can see, but they also double as explosives if you need them to. I don't recommend triggering the explosive aspect unless you're confident on your aim or you're able to plant them somehow, and one is usually enough for the average criminal." He showed her the trigger button and the deactivation button (just in case) before handing over a handful.

Batgirl tucked the discs into another pocket before returning her attention to him. He showed her a special lock-picking tool that doubled as a fine laser cutter and gave her a handful of tracers to add to her collection. Her makeshift utility belt was suddenly twice as heavy as it had been before, but the weight only made her more confident.

"Now," Robin continued as his arms fell back to his sides, "there are a few basic rules to go over before we go out there. Most of it you've probably figured out on your own, but I have to cover them anyway."

"Okay," Batgirl replied with a nod.

"Rule number one," Robin began, "we do not kill. The second we make the conscious decision to take our opponent's life we become no better than the bad guys we're fighting." This wasn't a rule he worried she was likely to break, but Batman would frown at him if he skipped it. "Rule number two: the civilians always come first. If it comes to it, let the bad guy get away. He'll come back eventually."

Batgirl listened intently, inwardly amazed at the responsible, serious side of her best friend that he always downplayed during the day. She understood, of course; it would be harder to connect the fun-loving, always-laughing, adopted son of a billionaire to the legendary Boy Wonder if the few people who'd met both remembered them entirely differently. She was more amazed at how _**good at it**_ he was.

"Rule number three," Robin continued, trying not to think of how much he was suddenly sounding like Batman. "Play to your strengths but know your limitations. No one can do everything, and if you try too hard you're only going to get yourself killed. For that reason, rule number four is: don't be afraid to ask for help. It's great advice, if not Batman's most hypocritical rule."

Her lips twitched at this. She didn't know the Dark Knight very well (most of her knowledge came from her father's stories), but even so, that sounded a lot like the man she pictured.

"Rule number-" Robin began, only to be cut off by a beeping in his ear. He quickly reached up and tapped the communicator, saying, "Go ahead."

"We found Al's car," Kid Flash declared on the other end. "Abandoned by an old theater on-"

Frowning deeply, Robin interrupted as realization dawned, echoing, "-Crime Alley. We'll be there soon; look around and see if you can find anything." _They're making this all sorts of personal,_ he reflected grimly. Batman was not going to appreciate it.

"We're going to Crime Alley?" Batgirl asked when he was obviously done talking to the others.

With a sharp nod, Robin retrieved his grappling hook and started toward the left edge of the roof. "Yeah; let's go."

* * *

**The Rolls** had been stripped – before or after its abandonment, it was hard to tell – before Kid Flash and Artemis found it. It was barely a shell of a car, and there weren't many clues that the pair could gather from what was left of the interior. Robin and Batgirl arrived to find the couple leaning – waiting – against the wall of the theater.

Robin glanced at the car, frowning again, before looking back to his teammates and asking, "Anything?"

"Not really," Artemis replied with a disappointed shake of her head.

"I found several sets of fingerprints," Kid Flash offered, "but…who knows which ones might be the guy we're looking for."

Nose scrunched in frustrated thought, Batgirl said, "It could take hours to scan through that many sets of fingerprints. Not to mention the time it would take to chase down everyone we found."

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Robin said, "Let's see if there's not a faster way, then." He lifted his arms, activated his holo-computer, and started typing.

"What are you doing?" Batgirl asked curiously, moving closer to his side in a vain attempt to read the screen.

"Gotham Academy has outside security cameras covering all entrances," Robin declared as he worked. "There's a chance the front cameras were able to get a shot of the guy who tried to kidnap me."

As Kid Flash and Artemis stepped closer, Batgirl arched a hidden brow and asked, "And you just happen to have the code to the school security system?"

Trying valiantly not to snicker, Kid Flash gestured to Robin and stated, "Give him enough time and this kid could hack _**anything**_. I can't imagine the school system's advanced enough to put up much of a fight."

Turning wide eyes back to her friend, Batgirl asked, "You're hacking into the system? You have _**got**_ to teach me that trick!"

"Maybe, if you ask real nice," Robin teased with a grin before looking up and adding, "And, technically, I hack_**ed**_ the system. Loading front camera one footage now."

The trio moved quickly behind him in order to see properly. And then the image cleared and began playing at a pre-selected time. They watched as a couple of cars rolled by at the edge of the shot and a veritable flock of students poured past – including Dick. The wave of students slowed, as did the passing of vehicles, until the Rolls Royce drove into – and then out of – the shot. The angle was barely good enough to catch the shadowed profile of the driver.

"Aw, man!" Kid Flash exclaimed, entirely disappointed.

"It's okay," Robin said, typing again. "There's a second camera. Loading now." He set the playback to kick in from when the Rolls first appeared in the previous video, and a moment later the footage started playing.

Exactly on time, the Rolls drove into the line of sight. The second camera had a better angle on the parking and street areas, and as the Rolls came to a stop at the curb it remained (barely) in the shot.

Robin smirked as it continued to play. The angle was nearly perfect. And then the man popped open the driver's door, turned, and stepped up to be seen well above the hood of the car. "Heh," he muttered, freezing the image as the man began to raise his arm, "gotcha."

"I'm guessing that's him?" Kid Flash asked rhetorically as he leaned forward slightly, studying the picture.

"But now what?" Batgirl asked, glancing sideways at her friend. "We already knew what he looked like."

"Now I've got his face on my computer," Robin replied as he zoomed in a little. "I can feed it into the Batcave's system and do a facial recognition scan."

"Can't you do that from here?" Artemis asked curiously.

"I could," Robin assured them as he sent the image and associated instructions to the home network, "but it'll go faster this way." His arms fell to his side as the holo-screen faded again and he added, "It'll notify me when the scan's done."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Batgirl asked.

"First, we get off the street," Robin instructed, glancing around. It was still late afternoon, and even Crime Alley wasn't _**that**_ bad in the daytime, but the four of them stood out like sore thumbs as they were. "The facial rec should only take a couple of minutes, so we'll wait for those results before splitting up to search for him."

Robin, Batgirl, and Artemis aimed their respective grapples at a nearby roof, and Kid Flash held on to his girlfriend as their feet almost simultaneously left the ground.

They swung onto a tall roof slightly down from the theater and moved toward the center, crouching down to keep out of sight.

"So," Kid Flash began, looking into his friend's masked eyes, "once the scan is done, where do we start looking?"

"That'll depend on the results," Robin replied. "If we don't have any known hideouts or affiliations, then we'll start with Crime Alley and Old Gotham since we're already here."

"What about north of the city?" Batgirl asked thoughtfully. "Whoever's behind this clearly knows that the manor's empty, right? What if they head up that way – sort of hiding in plain sight or something?"

Robin scowled at the thought, understanding her point. "We'll double back that way if our search turns up empty," he said, "but I'll be able to rule out our property itself – Bats has it rigged with every kind of sensor you can think of, and the computer would notify me if even one of them was tripped."

"Do you think there's a picture of Bats in the dictionary next to 'paranoid'?" Kid Flash asked flippantly.

Artemis shoved him lightly in the shoulder, saying, "I almost can't believe you even asked that."

Rubbing his shoulder and turning an exaggeratedly hurt look to her, Kid Flash asked, "What?"

Robin's computer beeped, the screen popping up, and the group returned their attention to the task at hand.

"That was fast," Artemis observed. From their backwards angle on the screen, she and Wally could see an image that looked suspiciously like a mug-shot, along with a list of details.

The question was obvious in the air, so Robin chose to read aloud after quickly scanning the man's image. But, even as he opened his mouth to tell them his would-be abductor's name, his eyes landed on the words and his throat went dry.

It took him a long second to even remember to breathe.

"Robin?" Batgirl asked carefully, frowning at his open-mouthed, muted expression. Her blue eyes flicked to the screen to see what had him coming up short, and she felt her stomach flip unpleasantly as she read the man's name. She knew that name.

"What is it?" Artemis asked, her curiosity beginning to drive her crazy. It was incredibly unlike Robin to be tongue-tied in any way, let alone over a simple recitation of information.

Dragging in a deep breath through his nose, Robin shook himself out of it and forced his voice to function. "His name is Charlie Zucco." There was a level of hatred in his voice as he all but spat out the surname. But, as was especially obvious from the mug-shot, Charlie didn't look at all like his older brother, so Robin at least couldn't blame himself for not making the connection.

Artemis opened her mouth to voice her confusion, but cut herself off when Kid Flash spoke in an unusually somber, quiet tone.

"Zucco?" Kid Flash repeated. "Isn't that the name of the guy who-"

"Yeah," Robin replied heavily.

"Man, Rob," the older red-head mumbled, eyes returning briefly to the backwards holographic image facing him, "that's messed up."

Batgirl's hand landed on Robin's caped shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

Glancing between the three strangely downcast teens around her, Artemis scowled and settled her half-glare reflexively on the speedster, declaring, "I'm clearly missing something. Is this Zucco guy more dangerous than we thought?"

An eerily mechanic quality to his voice, Robin explained, "Charlie Zucco is the younger brother of Tony Zucco." He paused, swallowing, and continued, "Tony Zucco…is the man who murdered my family five years ago."

Artemis's eyes widened at the unexpected revelation. She had known, logically, that if he was adopted, then that must have meant something had happened to his family. But she hadn't known the truth about him long enough to really give any thought to what that something might have been. And all she could manage to offer was a quiet, "I'm sorry…."

"Thanks," Robin said, a touch of his usual inflection beginning to return, "but it's irrelevant, anyway. The guy we're looking for right now isn't the one responsible." He took another breath, allowing himself to draw comfort from the hand on his shoulder, and returned his focus to the screen before him. They still had a mission to complete.

"Charlie Zucco," Robin began again, "was released on parole two months ago. He's been arrested for half a dozen things over the past decade, most recently armed robbery. He doesn't have any known hideouts in Gotham, but…he has connections to the Maroni Family, and he probably has access to his brother's hideouts."

As Robin switched the image of Charlie Zucco with a map and began typing, Artemis cringed silently and forced herself to broach the obvious topic. "Robin," she began carefully, "it can't be a coincidence that this guy was trying to kidnap _**you**_."

Robin's fingers barely paused over the holographic keyboard as he replied, "I know. It has to be connected to Zucco somehow, I just haven't figured it out yet."

"It could be something as stupidly simple as him blaming you for his brother's incarceration," Artemis suggested. "…He _**did**_ get arrested, right?"

"First case I worked," Robin declared tightly. He stopped typing, a map of Gotham before them with four markers scattered across. "And you're right, it could be that simple. We just can't ignore the chance that there was a secondary motive. These are Zucco's old hideouts."

"Only four?" Kid Flash asked, sounding slightly surprised, "We can handle that."

"It'll be even easier," Robin assured him, typing again. "When I add the updated file information for those locations we can rule some out – I know one of them has been turned into a bakery now." His fingers stalled again and the screen refreshed, taking away one marker and leaving three behind.

"Well," Artemis grumbled, "it's a little easier, anyway."

Robin frowned at the screen, another uneasy feeling twisting in his gut. Pointing to the closest dot, he said, "We probably shouldn't bother with this one; word on the street is another Family's taken that area over, and they don't usually mix blood." He paused, masked eyes narrowing at the most separated marker, and he shifted his pointing finger to it. "He'll be here."

"How can you be sure?" Kid Flash asked. "You skipped right over that one," he added, gesturing toward the marker in between.

"Because Artemis was right," Robin explained. "It's not a coincidence that he came after me instead of any of the other wealthy kids at Gotham Academy." Tapping the marker beneath his fingertip, he zoomed in on the screen to focus only on that area of town and added, "It's the most isolated. And that's the hideout Zucco was using to avoid the police after…."

Silence reigned for a long moment and Robin dismissed the holo-screen.

Hesitation apparent in his voice, Kid Flash said, "Rob…maybe we should call the Team in on this."

Narrowing his eyes at his friend, Robin replied firmly, "Right now, this _**is**_ the Team." He pushed to his feet and turned toward the nearest edge of the roof, reaching for his grapple, as he added, "I'll be fine."

No one spoke, or moved, as they watched Robin dive off of the building, swinging toward the distant marker and the bitter reminder of his past.

Artemis turned her gaze back to her boyfriend and said, "Maybe we should call the Team anyway. Even Robin can't be thinking clearly right now." And she doubted he'd appreciate _**her**_ telling _**him**_ to 'get traught.'

Kid Flash frowned and slowly shook his head, saying, "No. We'll respect his wishes on this, at least for now." He pushed to his feet before adding, "But there _**is**_ one call that needs to be made. You two go ahead; I'll catch up."

The girls nodded sharply, standing and striding toward the edge of the roof without another word.

* * *

**The sun** was finally setting as Robin crouched in the shadows across from the small, decrepit building that frequently haunted his nightmares. His hunch had already proven valid, as he had spotted multiple shadows moving around on the other side of the closed curtains. He couldn't be sure how many were actually inside, but he felt confident in assuming that the three men who attacked Alfred were probably all gathered together by now.

"I scoped out the perimeter," Kid Flash declared in a whisper as he came to a stop behind his friend and teammate. "Didn't see any guards; just a couple of old or stolen cars."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Robin replied, one hand braced unnecessarily against the brick wall beside them.

Artemis's voice was in his ear as she said, "Everything's clear from up here, too."

"Are we going in, then?" Batgirl asked quietly as she braced herself carefully just above Robin's crouched figure.

"Soon," Robin said. "KF, we need to know how many bodies are inside."

"Got it," Kid Flash assured him, snapping his goggles back over his eyes. He waited a moment as the scanner activated, and then he carefully swept his gaze over the front of the building before saying, "I've got four heat signatures. One's pretty small; could be that girl Alfred saw."

Speaking clearly enough for Artemis to hear him, Robin declared, "We're going in."

He was in motion practically before the words were out of his mouth, moving with absolute silence even as he leapt into the air and rolled into a forward somersault. His momentum carried him through the front window with a dramatic crash – an entrance Batman would have been proud of.

Kid Flash darted around to the back door, just as Robin had told him to do prior, as Batgirl sprinted forward to follow Robin's lead. An arrow soared overhead, grappling the roof and allowing Artemis to swing in after them.

"It's the Bat!" someone yelled as the men jumped to their feet and reached for their weapons.

The room was already filling with smoke as Robin rolled to his feet, his lightweight cape distracting from his movements as he threw his arms forward with his trademark cackle. Behind him, Batgirl leapt into the room, arching over the broken glass and spinning in mid-air to aim a hard kick at the nearest thug.

Gunfire erupted in the room as someone decided to empty their magazine into the cloud of smoke, and Robin spared a glance toward Batgirl to make sure she was safely out of the way. Then he leapt up, using a hanging fluorescent light to propel himself toward the idiot with the machine gun. One birdarang was enough to disarm the idiot, and as soon as the gun had gone skidding across the floor Robin dropped down in front of him, swinging up quickly with a sharp upper cut.

The man staggered back, knocking over a chair before he caught himself and managed a glare. His eyes narrowed and focused on Robin, he hollered, "This ain't the Bat, Zucco! It's just the Wonder Boy!"

Robin kept his taunting smirk in place as he made his move and said, "If you're going to use that title, at least use it correctly, will you?" His booted foot crashed into the man's torso and he spun off, landing a solid punch to the man's head and dropping him.

Artemis and Batgirl were dancing with another, larger, man with a gun.

The man had one hand gripping tightly to the shoulder of the mystery girl, whose eyes were filled with terror and tears as she stared at the costumed heroines. She wasn't struggling against the hold on her shoulder, but it was obvious from the almost pleading look on her face that she would really rather be anywhere else.

"There's a fourth!" Kid Flash cried in warning, his voice crackling through the communicators in Artemis's and Robin's ears.

"He's all yours," Artemis declared as she finally managed to plug the large man's gun with an arrow.

Batgirl moved in immediately, using Artemis as a springboard and spinning in the air as she flew toward the man. Her cape flared behind her, working as a distraction, and then her foot collided with the side of his face. The force of her kick caused him to stumble and release the girl, and the girl immediately darted to Artemis in order to hide behind her.

The man recovered and groped for Batgirl, trying to catch her cape or her hair, but she dropped and ducked into a backwards roll. She stayed down as she came to a stop in front of Artemis, knowing that Artemis already had another arrow knocked and ready. His eyes went wide with realization, but it was too late, because the arrow was already flying.

Robin found Charlie Zucco just as the thug pulled a rocket launcher out of a coat closet. The sight of the clichéd, oversized weapon only made him angrier and Robin leapt into the air, managing to land on it even as Zucco shouldered it.

"What the-?" Zucco cried, startled, as Robin immediately redirected his weight and threw himself backwards, using the weapon beneath his feet to propel him into a back flip. Zucco stumbled, his supportive arm swinging wide and high, and a single finger spasm resulted in him blowing a hole in the roof.

"Whoops," Robin taunted, attempting to retain his usual sarcastic humor, "looks like you just blew up your clubhouse." He followed up his remark by swinging his leg out and knocking his opponent completely off his feet.

Zucco dropped the rocket launcher as he crashed onto the floor, but he managed to roll out of the way of Robin's next attack.

They pushed to their feet almost simultaneously, the larger man watching Robin warily even as he reached back for a weapon.

"You shoulda stayed out o' this, kid!" Zucco exclaimed as he swung a pistol forward and pulled the trigger.

His aim – like before – was off (though not by nearly as much), and Robin had no difficulty dodging the shots as he called back, "And why would I do that?"

"This don't concern you capes!" Zucco insisted, moving sideways and backwards, deliberately keeping his gun pointed at Robin.

It didn't take Robin long to realize that Zucco was attempting to make another grab for his rocket launcher, though he wasn't entirely sure what the man wanted to do with it. The building was already on fire. Still, he dodged another shot – simultaneously leaping over a piece of burning debris – and flippantly asked, "You sure that's a good idea, Charlie?"

The gun in Zucco's hand clicked, indicating he'd run out of bullets, so he cursed and hurled it at Robin's head as he threw himself to the side and wrapped one hand around the handle of the rocket launcher. "Shut up!" he demanded angrily as Robin released another eerie cackle.

"I'm sorry," Robin lied, "it's just…was that aimed at _**me**_?" He had leapt up, rolling gracefully forward and closing the distance between them, and was now crouching on the back of an old armchair to the side of Zucco.

"We've got to get out!" Kid Flash was suddenly crying in Robin's ear. "There's a small room near the back with enough firepower to blow this whole building right off the map!"

"Get everyone to a safe distance," Robin ordered quickly. "I'll be right behind you."

"You're ruining _**everything**_!" Zucco exclaimed, again shouldering his rocket launcher as he adjusted to face the teen.

"Right," Robin replied, "and I feel so bad about that, too." He dove off of the chair, coming to his feet low and swinging another leg out to trip Zucco, but the older man managed to stumble and sidestep out of the way enough to keep his balance. Gritting his teeth, Robin sprang to his feet and threw his fist forward, aiming for the larger man's side.

Zucco shifted and let the rocket launcher slide down his torso, blocking Robin's punch, and Robin's fist slid right off the steel. Then Zucco wrapped both hands around the back end of the weapon and swung out violently, catching Robin in the chest and sending him sprawling backwards.

Robin rolled to his knees, jaw tight as he fought against the dull throbbing in his chest. He doubted anything was broken but it had still hurt, and the rapidly-increasing smoke around them was making it hard to catch his breath.

Movement in his peripheral vision drew Robin's attention and he muttered a silent curse when he realized Zucco hadn't taken his (small) chance to run, but was instead aiming to bludgeon him with the rocket launcher.

Before Robin could do more than shift his weight and reach for his utility belt, a familiar shadow fell over him and the unmistakable sound of a hard punch echoed in his ears. Zucco's weapon flew from his suddenly-slack grip, crashing to the floor and rolling toward a wall uselessly, as Zucco himself stumbled once and collapsed.

The familiar, pointy-eared shadow paused and turned just enough to glance sidelong down at Robin, and the teen got the message loud and clear. It was time to go.

Not bothering to wait for his mentor or their enemy, Robin shoved to his feet and turned to the broken window. It was surrounded by hungry flames but it was also the fastest way out, so he fisted the sides of his cape and launched his body through, ducking enough to let the flame-repellent cape shield his exposed flesh.

As soon as he had his feet beneath him, Robin dropped his cape and broke into a run. He tapped the communicator in his ear and asked, "Is everybody clear?"

"Yeah," Kid Flash replied immediately, "where are you?"

"On my way," Robin assured them, feeling a twinge of guilt for worrying his friends. A quick glance at the holo-screen above his wrist told him where to find them and he wasted no time in adjusting his course.

* * *

**The rest** of the night passed in a blur. Batman allowed Kid Flash and Artemis to stay and patrol alongside them, and, in fact, the couple took the bulk of the burden for a while as Bruce, Dick, and Barbara made necessary public appearances at the police station and hospital.

Alfred did have a broken arm and minor concussion, but he was awake and talking when Bruce and Dick went to visit him. The doctor insisted on keeping him overnight for observation, and Commissioner Gordon stationed a police officer outside the door for everyone's peace of mind.

In a later conversation with Gordon, Batman learned that Charlie Zucco had confessed to the attempted kidnapping. He'd intended to ransom Dick for the money necessary to cover Tony Zucco's amassed debts. Charlie thought it 'poetic justice' and the least Dick's new family could do, since Dick was responsible for ruining Tony's life.

It wasn't a conversation Batman relished repeating to his adopted son.

Shortly after learning Charlie's motivations the group split, finally deciding that it had been a long night (and at least one of them still had to go to school in the morning).

Kid Flash clapped a hand on Robin's shoulder supportively, offered a laughing wink to Batgirl, and stole a quick kiss from Artemis before rushing off toward home.

Artemis bade an almost awkward goodnight to the remaining trio before taking her boyfriend's unspoken advice and going home, knowing her mother was likely waiting up for her.

Batgirl wrapped her arms around Robin's shoulders in a tight hug, quietly reminding him that he wasn't alone, before bidding her friend and his mentor a temporary farewell and taking her leave, hoping to get home before her father.

The Dynamic Duo waited until the others were out of sight before turning and making their way toward the waiting Batmobile. They didn't speak as Batman drove, and few words were exchanged as they crossed through the Batcave and into the manor above. Bruce went into the kitchen to set the automatic coffee pot for the morning while Dick headed straight upstairs for a scalding, hopefully relaxing, shower.

Dick was dressed in his pajama pants and a plain tee, sitting on the foot of his bed, his hair still dripping onto his shoulders and down his back, when Bruce tapped on the door.

"Dick?" the older man called quietly as he eased the door open. His faded blue eyes lowered in a frown as they landed on the boy they were looking for.

"Yeah?" Dick asked without lifting his tired eyes from the floor.

Bruce moved swiftly across the room until he was settling himself lightly on the bed beside Dick, and he turned his own gaze forward as he said, "I'm sorry. I should have been here."

Dick's eyes widened as he registered Bruce's words. Verbal apologies of any kind were incredibly rare from the man sitting beside him, and for a second he wasn't sure what to say. Ultimately, he settled on, "Thanks, Bruce. But you don't have to apologize."

Frowning, Bruce replied, "I should have known that there was a Zucco in town."

One corner of his lips twitching, Dick argued, "Even you can't know _**everything**_." Knowing Bruce would argue that logic, he didn't wait for a response before adding, "Besides, you sort of were there before you really were there. You gave me permission to bring Artemis and Barbara in, and KF, technically, even if I wasn't the one who called him."

"That's hardly the same thing," Bruce pointed out.

Dick looked away again, his voice dropping as he admitted, "It counts." _At least I didn't have to go through it alone._

Bruce was silent, conceding the point this time, and instead he reached out and dropped a hand on Dick's shoulder.

"You handled it well," he offered quietly.

* * *

**"This has** been the longest week in history," Artemis declared on Friday afternoon as she met up with Dick and Barbara in front of the school.

Laughing, Barbara adjusted the strap of her backpack over her shoulder and said, "Tell me about it. Part of me's still convinced I'm about to wake up and discover it's only Thursday."

Dick chuckled, grinning broadly as he teased, "Eager are we?"

"_**Yes!**_" the girls chorused, for almost entirely different reasons.

Sometime after Charlie Zucco's arrest Monday night, Robin had finally managed to tell Barbara the details of their 'compromise': Batman would accept and work with her, helping to train her when he could, if she was willing to join the Team. The majority of her training would, subsequently, come from her experience with the Team, but that would also better prepare her for patrolling Gotham.

Barbara, of course, had quickly agreed.

And one other thing had been agreed upon that night. For simplicity's sake, Robin would hold off revealing his identity to the rest of the Team until the day Batgirl joined. Therefore, for nearly an entire week, Artemis had had to know what it was like to be Wally (at least, where Robin was concerned).

Originally they had planned on doing everything early Saturday, but Batman decided he didn't see the point in putting it off for one afternoon, and so their plans had been bumped up to Friday.

The trio was still laughing when Barbara's eyes lit up and she asked, "Alfred's well enough to drive again?"

Artemis and Dick obligingly looked over, easily spotting the proud butler standing beside a different Rolls Royce, and Dick replied, "Yeah, he's pretty much back to himself. I keep telling him he should play up the broken arm thing a little more, but he's such a workaholic."

"Maybe he just likes what he does," Barbara suggested as she and Artemis fell in behind Dick, headed toward the man in question.

"No way," Artemis argued with a grin, "he's probably just worried that he's the only one in the house who knows how to cook."

"There's that, too," Barbara agreed with a laugh.

"Hey," Dick called over his shoulder, still grinning, "I resent that. I make the best mac 'n' cheese!"

They were still laughing lightly when they finally stopped before Alfred, who bowed slightly and said, "Good afternoon, everyone. Are you ready to go?"

"Born that way, Al," Dick assured him as he tossed his backpack onto the floor behind the driver's seat.

"It's good to see you, Alfred," Barbara said sweetly as she handed her backpack to Dick. "You're looking a lot better."

"Thank you, Miss Barbara," Alfred replied with a small smile.

"Thanks for picking us up," Artemis said politely.

Smile still in place, Alfred assured her, "It's my pleasure, Miss Crock."

"Artemis is fine, really," she mumbled self-consciously as she followed Barbara into the backseat.

As soon as they were settled Alfred eased the door shut and made his way around the car, back to the driver's seat. Then the car was in motion, pulling into traffic and turning toward the manor.

It was several minutes before Alfred led the way into the main foyer of Wayne Manor with a smile, saying, "Master Bruce is waiting for you downstairs. Feel free to set your backpacks down here, I'll take care of them for you."

Dick grinned, quickly shrugged out of his backpack, and called, "Thanks, Al!" He waited barely long enough for Barbara and Artemis to follow suit before darting further into the house, adding, "Follow me!"

Barbara and Artemis were just expecting to meet up with Batman and go to the Cave, but Dick knew better. He knew that Bruce had something extra planned for the 'new girl,' and, apparently, he'd decided to demonstrate his trust by inviting them into the _**other**_ cave. And, though Dick knew what the 'something extra' was, he hadn't seen it for himself, so he couldn't decide if he was more eager to see Barbara's reaction or the gift she didn't know she was about to receive.

"Um, Dick," Barbara called as she followed her friend into the formal sitting room, "what are we doing here? And since when do you have a 'downstairs'?"

Dick paused, just a few feet from the grandfather clock, and turned a grin back to them. "We've always had a 'downstairs,' Babs. You've just never seen it."

"Wait," Artemis said, her eyes going wide. "Do you mean…?"

Grin broadening, Dick stepped within arms' reach of the clock and said, "Yeah." Then he reached out, pulled open the glass facing, and tugged deliberately on the pendulum.

Artemis and Barbara watched with wide, amazed eyes as the glass swung closed and the clock slid to the side, revealing a high, curved stone archway. They remained frozen as Dick started forward, and as soon as Dick stepped into the archway two rows of lights clicked on, illuminating the downwards curving steps.

The girls exchanged a look, suddenly sporting matching grins, and started after their younger friend.

Dick led the way down the steps, unsurprised when his eyes landed on a familiar, dark figure sitting before a large display of monitors.

Bruce was in full costume, but this time he had his cowl pulled down – his version of casual – and he calmly shut down the applications that had been running when he heard the teens descending the stairs.

Dick decided to skip the last several steps, choosing instead to jump to the ground as he flashed his mentor a grin. He pushed easily to his feet and moved to join Bruce, waiting as the girls made a slightly-slower entrance.

Artemis stepped into view first, Barbara directly behind her, both of their eyes wandering around unabashedly. As she looked around, her eyes lingering over the collection gallery that Wally would probably drool over, Artemis was suddenly reminded of a comment Robin had once made about the Batcave's level of cliché, and she understood. But, in its own way, it didn't feel cliché at all.

When the girls were standing properly in front of Batman (and it was _**so**_ weird to see him with his cowl down), Dick moved to stand on the other side of Barbara with a grin.

"Welcome to the first cave in my life," he joked lightly.

"This is amazing," Barbara breathed, finally dragging her eyes up to Batman's. "When you said to meet in the cave, I thought you meant the Team's Cave."

"This is just a pit stop," Batman assured her. "Since today's the day we're making you official, I thought you might want to start off on equal footing."

Artemis glanced over Barbara's shoulders, shooting Dick a confused look, but he only flashed her a grin in return.

"What do you mean?" Barbara asked curiously.

"I have a gift for you," Batman said as Alfred stepped into their line of sight. Alfred was holding what looked suspiciously like a folded costume, with something slightly bulky on top.

"Congratulations, Miss Barbara," Alfred said as he held the fabric out to her.

Barbara's eyes were glued to the golden utility belt on top and the slightly-stylized black bat etched into the dark gray fabric beneath. Her tongue was stuck in her throat for a moment before she finally looked back up at Batman and asked dumbly, "You made me a new costume?"

"Yours was effective but impractical," Batman replied almost casually. "The new one is more impervious and offers a higher level of protection. Likewise, your utility belt is fully loaded with everything you'll need."

Barbara snapped out of her odd daze and carefully took the items from Alfred's hands, slinging the belt over her shoulder in order to hold up her new costume for inspection. It felt different to the touch – somehow smoother and lighter all at the same time – but the color scheme and style was nearly identical to the one she'd made herself. A dark gray suit with black bat insignia, a yellow-gold belt, and black cape and cowl that she hoped went with black gloves and boots.

Alfred returned, setting down a pair of boots and laying a pair of gloves over the top, saying, "Here's the rest, Miss Barbara."

She glanced over at them and smiled. Black, just like she wanted. And now her gloves had the trademark bat ridges (something she hadn't been able to replicate at home).

"That's pretty sweet," Artemis declared, eyeing the new costume carefully.

Turning her smile toward Bruce, Barbara lowered the costume slightly and said, "I love it; thank you. It's exactly what I would have wanted."

Nodding his head in acceptance of her gratitude, Batman added, "There's a communicator in the cowl, on the right side. Tap it once and say the name of the person you need to speak with to call out, or tap it once and wait two seconds to answer."

"That's convenient," Barbara murmured as she looked back down at the costume in her hands.

Grin nearly splitting his face, Dick declared, "I think there's really only one thing left to do." Everyone's attention shifted to him, though it was clear that Bruce knew exactly what he was about to say, and Dick added, "Let's suit up."

* * *

**The Team** was gathered in the Cave, impatiently anticipating the arrival of their newest member. They were all dressed in full costume, deciding that (at least in this case) it would be more appropriate than casual attire. Batman had called a few minutes before, telling them to get ready, so they knew she – likely along with Batman and Robin – would be arriving soon. But Wally was the only one who knew that Artemis would be arriving with them, too.

"I wonder what she's like," M'Gann said thoughtfully from where she stood patiently beside Superboy.

"I just hope she's not a mini-Batman," Rocket declared with laughing eyes. "I mean, Robin's fine and all, but if we had to deal with Batman all the time I think he'd drive me crazy!"

"Are you kidding?" Kid Flash asked rhetorically. "I'd have nightmares every night!"

"Batman is strong, proud, and honorable," Aqualad defended with a frown.

"Sure," Zatanna allowed, "we all know Batman's impressive, but even you can't deny he's a little…stiff."

**Recognized: Batman 02.**

Wally's would-be comment died on his tongue and the Team immediately turned to face the zeta-tube, standing at attention in silence.

Batman stepped into view, striding purposefully to the side and out of the way of the entrance even as he glanced toward the Team. "Thank you for coming," he said with a small nod.

Aqualad returned the nod, saying, "We are glad to be here to welcome Batgirl. But I am afraid that Artemis has not yet arrived."

"She'll be here shortly," Batman assured him.

**Recognized: Robin B01. Artemis B07. Batgirl B10.**

The Team was obviously surprised to hear Artemis's designation in between Robin's and Batgirl's, but they contained their confusion and remained patient as three shapes began materializing in front of them.

Robin and Artemis were walking slightly forward, and Robin grinned at his teammates, raising one gloved hand in a casual wave as he called, "What's up?"

Artemis managed not to roll her eyes at Robin's entrance, calmly moving to the side and toward the rest of the Team. Kid Flash met her half way with a small grin, but by then everyone's attention had returned to the zeta-tube.

Batgirl had stepped forward, fully clad in her brand-new costume, coming to a stop beside Robin. She was slightly amazed at the gathering of largely-unfamiliar teens before her, despite what Robin and Artemis had told her, but she didn't feel nearly as self-conscious as she'd thought she would. So she raised her hand in a small wave and said, "Hi. I'm Batgirl. Thank you for offering me a place on your team."

"Welcome, Batgirl," Aqualad said formally, stepping forward and extending one webbed hand. "I am Aqualad, and we are happy to have you."

Robin wrapped an arm around Batgirl's shoulders as her arm fell back to her side and swept his other arm out, toward the rest of the Team, saying, "That's Superboy, Miss Martian, Zatanna, and Rocket."

"Love the outfit, girl," Rocket declared with a grin.

Miss Martian flew up to Batgirl, a wide smile on her face as she said, "It's very nice to meet you! My real name is M'Gann, but you can just call me Megan if you want."

Batgirl grinned and shook her hand, saying, "It's nice to meet you, too. I love your hair."

With the introductions well underway, the Team relaxed and moved closer, taking their turns properly greeting their newest addition.

While they were talking, Robin stepped back and moved to Batman's side. "So," he began quietly, "are we doing this?"

Batman slowly inclined his head, trademark scowl on his face. "You were right. It's time."

Robin glanced back over at the group when he heard Batgirl croon, and a grin tipped his lips again at the sight of her scratching Wolf's ears.

"Team," Batman called before they could get too distracted and wander away.

The light laughter faded quickly and everyone straightened, again turning toward their superior.

"Do you have a mission for us, Batman?" Aqualad asked, assuming that was the reason for him calling their attention.

"Not yet," Batman replied. "But there is something you all need to know."

Curious silence settled over them, and Batgirl's eyes slid to Robin's encouragingly. And, as she waited for Batman to say what she knew he was going to, she decided to take their cue. She may not know really any of her new teammates very well (with the arguable exceptions of Wally and Artemis), but if Batman was about to trust them with his identity then who was she to keep secrets?

"First," Batman continued, "let me apologize for our secrecy. Robin has trusted you all from the beginning, and though I've felt largely the same, trust is rarely something I act on. Today, however, I aim to rectify that. It's time you know the truth."

When Batman paused, Superboy spoke up, an obvious layer of suspicion in his voice. "What truth?"

Instead of responding to Superboy's question with words, Batman reached up and tugged his cowl from his head. Several sets of eyes widened at the realization of what he was doing, and then widened again at the surprisingly familiar face beneath the cowl.

_"Did anyone else not see that coming?"_ Zatanna asked silently as she attempted to process the sight before them.

_"I sure didn't,"_ Rocket declared.

_"I believe we are all surprised,"_ Aqualad assured them needlessly.

Superboy was the first to speak aloud, slowly asking, "You're…Bruce Wayne?"

"I am," Batman replied with a nod.

Simultaneously, all eyes slid to Robin in expectation. If only because he was their teammate – the one they fought side-by-side with – they were strangely more curious about _**his**_ identity.

With a lopsided grin, Robin reached up and pried his mask from his face. He was feeling strangely calm despite how long he'd been waiting to be able to tell them the truth about himself. It was strangely freeing to be able to meet their eyes without obstruction. "Dick Grayson," he supplied, knowing his face was far less globally recognizable than his mentor's.

_"Bruce Wayne's adopted son,"_ Superboy realized.

With an easy smile, M'Gann added, _"That explains why he couldn't tell us his own name without revealing Batman's."_

_"Uh, guys,"_ Zatanna interrupted, gesturing lightly toward Batgirl, _"We're not exactly all linked in here."_

Unaware of the silent conversation, Batgirl took a deep breath and stepped forward, moving toward her closest friend. "As long as we're having the identity discussion, I think I'll take my turn."

Eyes widened ever-so-slightly with surprise, Robin said, "B, you don't have to…we all understand."

She smiled at him reassuringly before turning to face her new teammates. "It won't really mean much to most of you I'd imagine, but," she began, pausing as she reached up and pulled back her own cowl to reveal the rest of her face, "my real name's Barbara Gordon. I'm the daughter of the Gotham City Police Commissioner." She cut a sideways, teasing glance to Robin and added, "And I've been friends with this weirdo for years."

"You know what, Babs," Robin declared as he draped an arm around her shoulders with another grin, "I'm glad to see you're staying pretty whelmed about all this."

Behind them, Bruce had already tugged his cowl back into place, and he started toward the zeta-tube as he said, "Remember to be back in time for patrol."

**Recognized: Batman 02.**

The light faded and Batman was gone and Batgirl turned her attention back to Robin (who had since released her shoulders), and said, "Have I mentioned how cool that is?"

A shrill ringing sounded from somewhere down the hall behind them, sounding suspiciously like a timer, and M'Gann clapped her hands and exclaimed, _"Perfect timing! The cookies are ready!"_

_"You made cookies?"_ Wally asked, turning hopeful eyes toward the shapeshifter.

_"Of course!"_ M'Gann replied with a bright smile. _"What's a party without sweets?"_

_"Want me to zap in some pizzas, too?"_ Zatanna asked with a partially-raised eyebrow.

Teasing laughter in her voice, Artemis said, _"You didn't really just ask that, did you?"_

Batgirl, this time picking up on the strange, silent conversation, turned confused eyes to Robin and whispered, "Um, what am I missing?"

Robin turned his attention back to the red-head standing beside him, having been distracted by the conversation, and explained, "Miss M's a telepath, and we've kind of developed the bad habit of having most of our conversations in our heads." He shifted his gaze outward again and projected his voice, adding, "Miss M?" as he jerked a thumb in Batgirl's direction.

M'Gann's eyes went wide and she exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" Her eyes flashed brightly for a second, and her next words were heard clearly in Barbara's head, though her lips never moved. _"Can you hear me now?"_

_"Whoa…"_ Barbara said.

_"It takes a minute to get used to,"_ Robin offered with a grin. _"Now c'mon, KF's about to eat all the cookies."_

Artemis turned her attention back to where her boyfriend had been standing a minute ago, only to find him gone, and planted her hands on her hips. _"Put the cookies down, Wally!"_

Laughing, the group turned and started down the wide tunnel that led to the kitchen and living area. M'Gann floated slightly ahead, eager to rescue her cookies and get things ready for the welcome party, and Suberboy, Wolf, Zatanna, and Artemis were right behind her.

Robin hung back, walking beside Batgirl.

It was surreal to have Barbara suddenly mingling with all of his other friends (well, _**most**_ of his other friends). But it was a good kind of surreal.

And, now that it was happening, he wondered why he'd ever argued with himself over the idea of her being Batgirl. She could handle herself – and she would quickly learn how to handle herself in situations she'd likely never imagined. Most importantly, though, he wouldn't have to lie to her anymore; he wouldn't have to pretend not to see – or not to understand – the hurt in her eyes when he had to bail on her last-minute.

Batgirl drifted sideways deliberately, bumping her shoulder against his, and offered him a small grin as she whispered, "You're forgiven, by the way."

Confused, Robin asked, "What?"

"For all those times you had to ditch me," she elaborated, "or cancel last-minute. I forgot to tell you before, but I was only angry about it until you told me why." Waving one hand toward the group of teens ahead of them, she added, "Plus, this is a very good way to make it up to me."

He grinned, amazed as always at how easily she could read him, and replied, "Well, I am sorry, Babs. But that won't have to happen anymore. And you're gonna love it here."

"I know," she assured him, tucking her hand into his with a smile.

Together they rounded the corner, stepping to the kitchen to rejoin their teammates, hands loosely clasped and matching, easy smiles on their faces.

_**The End**_

_**A/N:**_ Well, there you have it, everyone: my take on how Batgirl joins the Team! (Oh, and also, please note: at this point, I actually don't know what Batgirl's designation is in Invasion – but, for the purposes of my story, it kind of only makes sense that she'd be 10.) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it! Now if you would be so kind as to drop me a review and let me know your thoughts? Pretty please? And thank you for reading/reviewing!


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